Kevin De Bruyne's contract at Manchester City expires at the end of the season and if the star does eventually leave, the club will have a clear idea of where they would like to take him.
The Belgian moved to the Etihad from Wolfsburg in a £54 million transfer in 2015 and has since become a City legend. He played 394 games for the side and won fourteen major trophies, including six league titles and a Champions League.
In that time, the midfielder has provided 116 assists in the Premier League, the second most in the competition's history behind Man United's Ryan Giggs, who made 632 appearances in a career spanning 22 years.
De Bruyne's recent form has been mixed, echoing that of his team, with the 33-year-old struggling to stay fit and looking a yard off the pace in some games.
However, he quashed rumors that he had fallen out with manager Pep Guardiola with an inspired performance against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday, providing a goal and another assist in a 3-0 win that ended the team's seven-game winning streak City matches.
With his contract set to expire this summer, speculation over De Bruyne's future is mounting and the Cityzens are prepared to offer the star to one of their sister clubs if he leaves, the Telegraph reports.
City Football Group (CFG), which took over Manchester in 2008, has a number of football teams in their stable, including Melbourne City, New York City, Troyes, Girona and Palermo.
De Bruyne could eventually strike a deal to stay at Etihad, but the option of a move to another team in the group remains firmly on the table.
City reportedly prefer this outcome to him leaving the CFG circuit, given his enormous contribution to the club and the group in his nine years at Manchester.
But De Bruyne will be free to talk to other teams in just four weeks' time when the January transfer window opens, and he has inevitably attracted interest from far and wide.
Clubs from the Saudi Pro League and the United States are keeping an eye on the playmaker, with his partnership with American company Roc Nation for commercial work potentially giving the American side an advantage in securing his services.
De Bruyne provided another reminder of his quality in City's comfortable 3-0 win over Forest on Wednesday, sparing Guardiola the blushes of an eight-match winless run.
He put on a man-of-the-match display, setting up the opener and scoring one for himself later in the first half at the Etihad.
After the match, his manager was full of praise for the star who has been at the club since his arrival in 2016.
“I'm so happy for him,” Guardiola said. “When he is fit he is so important for us. We needed it (the win). The club needed it. The players needed it. Everyone had to win, but it's just one win.'
It comes after the Spaniard hit back at claims he had a falling out with De Bruyne, made by Rest is Football presenters Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, as well as Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
He said: 'People say I have a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like not playing with Kevin?'
Guardiola continued sarcastically: 'No, I don't want Kevin to play. The man with the most talent in the final third. I don't want it. I have a personal problem with him after nine years together.'
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