Kevin De Bruyne was forced out of Man City! Pep Guardiola admits midfielder's summer exit is 'club decision' which was 'not easy' to break to legendary Belgian

On Friday, De Bruyne announced his departure from Manchester City after spending 10 seasons with the eight-time Premier League champions and winning 16 trophies, including six Premier League titles. The Belgian midfielder is set to become a free agent during the summer transfer window.

Over the course of the season, a number of questions were raised about De Bruyne's desire to leave City this summer, as talks of a contract extension remained off the radar. However, Guardiola has now revealed that it was indeed City's decision not to give the Belgian a new deal, and the Catalan tactician revealed the difficulty of breaking the news to the Premier League legend.

Speaking to the media, Guardiola said: "The decision has been made for the club, and the club is the club. Me, Txiki [Begiristain, sporting director], and the club, so this is what it is. It was not easy for me to tell him it won’t continue.

"The last year and a half, he was out injured because he gave everything for the club. Everything he had in his body and his mind, he’s done it, so there’s no doubt about it."

The Belgian's future still remains unknown as he has been linked with a number of different clubs, including some in Saudi Arabia and Major League Soccer.