Kevin De Bruyne's American dream: Chicago Fire enter talks with Man City legend after gaining 'inside track' on Lionel Messi's Inter Miami

Last month, De Bruyne announced that he would be departing Manchester City at the end of the season following the Citizens' decision not to hand their legendary midfielder a new deal as they look to build their squad for the future. The Belgian superstar is now looking for 'projects' across Europe and outside as well, with moves to the Saudi Pro League or MLS also being discussed.

As per ESPN, Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire are now said to be keen on opening a dialogue with De Bruyne to entice him to sign on with the club despite Lionel Messi's Inter Miami holding the right-of-first refusal. The Fire have an 'inside track' on the Herons and believe that Inter Miami will not use their option as Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba already occupy their Designated Player spots.

Chicago Fire believe that if De Bruyne is open to a move to the United States, they could have the best possibility of signing the Manchester City legend. As per ESPN's report, New York City FC and D.C. United are also said to be interested, but similar to Inter Miami, they do not have an open DP spot on their roster. Fire boss and former USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter has also hinted at his desire to bring a playmaker to enhance the side's offensive line.

Speaking to the media last month, Berhalter said: "I think that in a perfect world you'd be able to invest across the entire roster and say, 'OK, we can bring in world-class players in every position,' but it's not perfect. There's a salary cap, there's a limited amount of designated players. So I think the most sense is to bring in an attacking player.

"Someone that can change the game consistently from an attacking end and can work with the offensive weapons we already have to bring out more in them and help them continue, and overall help the team both on and off the field."

The Belgian has maintained that he will not make a decision about his future club till the start of the summer break, as he is keen on preparing well with City for their FA Cup final against Crystal Palace to avoid going trophyless for the first time since 2017.