-Credit: (Image: James Baylis – AMA/Getty Image)

Kevin De Bruyne demonstrated why Manchester City should not make a snap transfer decision when stomping about the RheinEnergieStadion pitch on Saturday evening, only two and a half hours away from his Belgian birthplace in Drongen.

Due to legitimate fitness concerns, the playmaker, who will be 33 next week, has been rotated and rested for both club and country in recent weeks. However, his lung-busting run to score Belgium’s second goal against Romania demonstrates that the old dog still has vitality.

Speculation over his future has been fueled by comments he made earlier this month about moving to Saudi Arabia. “At my age, you have to be open to everything,” said the midfielder, who has only 12 months left on his City contract.

“You’re talking about huge sums of money in what could be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about it. If I play there for two years, I will be able to earn a large sum of money.

“Before that, I had to play football for 15 years; I may not even reach that number yet. Then you have to consider what that could imply next. But I haven’t had to think about that yet.

Of course, he will receive little sympathy from those who have just seen a 10% increase in Man City season ticket prices for next season due to a cost of living crisis, but the thought that De Bruyne, arguably City’s greatest ever player, may have played his final Blues game tugs at the heartstrings.

A crossroads is on the horizon. He is unforgettable, and his achievements may never be surpassed, but he is not irreplaceable. Phil Foden, the Premier League player of the season, has proven to be a more than adequate successor (someone should inform Gareth Southgate) and is allegedly in line for a new contract. The city is already planning for life after KDB.

However, this does not mean that City should simply let him leave without first engaging in lengthy persuasive discussions to stay. Pep Guardiola stated earlier this year, “I would love him to stay until the end of his career, but everyone is everyone.”

Guardiola has never stood in the way of a player who expressed a desire to leave, and it is not uncommon for City to let faithful servants run down their contracts, as Fernandinho and Ilkay Gundogan have demonstrated.

His performance for Belgium against Romania suggested that City could take the same approach with De Bruyne, who is undeniably still potent.

The captain came close to scoring in two of his previous three second-half shots before his goal, and he has now played two full 90 minutes in five days, which he will most likely repeat in Wednesday’s crucial match against Ukraine.

Romania were well-prepared, but De Bruyne was able to attack the backline as the game progressed, and his on-field knowledge was key in both of Belgium’s goals, drifting out wide to draw a defender away in the build-up to the first.

Only centre-back Wout Faes had more touches than De Bruyne, who completed three important passes and steered three of his five efforts on goal. It just emphasises that the Premier League legend still has so much to offer Manchester City, and they should try to persuade him to stay for one last hurrah under Guardiola, whose contract expires next summer.

Of course, it is up to the player, and if he expresses his intention to go with his eyes widened by the size of Saudi’s cash bag, City may be forced to heed his wishes. Furthermore, the Pro League may easily pay City money that it will never see again for a 32-year-old.

However, they have the right to fight back and reject any offer that they believe is below the player’s market value. After all, he’s still under contract. This is a big summer for City, and they should maintain their premium assets while they are still working for the club.