With Kevin De Bruyne's Manchester City contract set to expire at the end of the season, the club's playmaking star has revealed where he currently stands on extension talks.
There appears to be considerable ambiguity surrounding the Belgian's future at the Etihad Stadium, as the 33-year-old has been linked with moves to the likes of Saudi Arabia and the United States since the preceding offseason.
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The Drongen native ultimately decided to stay with the Sky Blues for the 2024/25 campaign. He has now disclosed that discussions over a contract extension began during the previous transfer window but have stalled since his injury.
When asked about his future ahead of City's upcoming UEFA Champions League clash against Feyenoord, De Bruyne told members of the media, as per ESPN:
"I honestly don't know. At the start of the season, I knew talks would happen but then the thing [injury] happened against Brentford. It was meant to be a couple of days, and then it was eight/nine weeks. I put it all to the side.
"I had a conversation in the summer, but then I had the injury, so I wasn't in the right frame of mind to talk about that. I need to be back on the pitch and be myself again. There's no rush, I don't feel uncomfortable, I'm not worried."
Pep Guardiola recently signed a new deal with the Citizens, and De Bruyne has hinted that the Spaniard's decision could influence him to follow suit.
"It could help," the club vice-captain said. "I know what the future holds, I don't have to speak to Pep about what is happening in the future. If there would be a new coach, you have to speak.
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"Maybe Pep changes his mind and says, 'Thank you, Kevin, it is time to leave,' but I know how he works with the team and the players, so that is nothing new to me."