Kevin De Bruyne to return to Chelsea? Former Blues star opens door to surprise reunion with Man City midfielder hailed as 'one of the very best' behind Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo

De Bruyne’s current contract with City is set to expire in the summer and the Belgian is already in his final chapter in Manchester. As interest builds from abroad, particularly from Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League, the 32-year-old remains open about what lies ahead, and even if it means joining a Premier League rival.

After City's win over Palace, De Bruyne said: "I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I want to play on, so we’ll see where I can end up. I don’t know how I’m going to feel, I’ve been here so long, my family has been here for 10 years, my kids were born in Manchester, lived their whole life here. It’s going to be something different for them.

"I think they’re a bit scared, excited, but it’s a bit of an unknown because we don’t know what’s going to happen for the moment. But I want to enjoy, play good football like I did today, and for the rest, I’ll be fine. If I can play football and my family is happy, I’m good."

De Bruyne’s career in English football actually began with Chelsea. Signed in 2012, he only made nine appearances for the Blues before being loaned out to Bundesliga side Werder Bremen. There, he flourished, tallying 20 goals and assists in just 36 games. Despite his strong loan spell, Chelsea decided to sell De Bruyne to Wolfsburg for £18 million in 2014. It was there that he cemented his reputation as one of Europe’s top creative forces, prompting City to bring him back to the Premier League in 2015.

Now, with the sun setting on De Bruyne’s glittering tenure at City, Gallas believes a dramatic return to Chelsea might not be out of the question.

"Maybe he could go to Chelsea, why not? But he has to be sure. He might want to go somewhere that he knows he can win trophies. So, that would all depend on Chelsea's recruitment of a striker," he said in an interview with Slingo.

"Bayern Munich? Maybe he could go there. If he wants to win more trophies, he could go there. If he still wants to play in the Premier League, why not? No way he'll go to Liverpool, Man United or Arsenal. Even if he knows Mikel Arteta he can’t go there . It will be hard to manage 2 playmakers and I'm sure he has some offers."

Should De Bruyne part ways with City this summer, he’ll leave behind a legacy few players in the club’s history can match. With six Premier League titles, five Carabao Cups, two FA Cups, and a Champions League triumph to his name, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever wear the sky blue shirt.

With only a handful of domestic games left, plus a crucial FA Cup semifinal against Nottingham Forest, speculation has intensified over what comes next for the Belgian maestro. Whether he chooses to stay in Europe, explore new pastures in the United States or Saudi Arabia, or make a sensational return to a former club like Chelsea, De Bruyne's next move will be one of the most talked-about stories of the summer.