Kevin de Bruyne explains why Man City could not afford a transfer war between Frenkie de Jong and Barcelona

The sight of Kevin de Bruyne buzzing reminded us why Manchester City simply could not face Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong.

Pep Guardiola is fascinated by the midfielder of Ajax.

Just like Kyllian Mbappe, De Jong was a rare talent that the city director had identified since his early age and that he was desperate to bring to Etihad before he did. out of reach for good.

And just as in his pursuit of Mbappe, Guardiola had to accept defeat.

It's painful for the Catalans – but the Premier League champions' refusal to consider salaries of around £ 300,000 a week was quite understandable.

Chances are De Jong would have chosen the Barca anyway. Nou camp has always been his favorite destination.

But if City had been right about the offer of the Catalan giants, who knows?

More importantly, who knows what would have happened to a cloakroom filled with stars, that Guardiola has turned into a tightly knit group?

De Bruyne is the highest paid player in the city. Their talisman.

Given his age – 27 years – and his continued excellence, it is unlikely that anyone on the Guardiola team complains about his contract, worth an estimated £ 280,000 a week. How De Jong – 21 years old and still learning his craft – could he earn more money than one of the best players in world football?

And what happens when, for example, Leroy Sane's agent is negotiating a new contract for the German? How much does he ask for the young player of the year PFA last season?

Manchester United has already had difficulty negotiating contracts after breaking their salary structure to welcome Alexis Sanchez.

City gave up an auction for the Chilean while his personal demands exploded.

Sanchez is thought to earn £ 350,000 a week, plus bonuses in excess of £ 450,000. This contributed to the 10% increase in United's payroll in the club's latest accounts.

But the impact was more felt during negotiations with David de Gea and Anthony Martial, who use the 30-year agreement as a reference.

United will probably have to make De Gea the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world to convince him to engage in the future, while Martial wants a contract reflecting the fact that he currently prevents Sanchez from being part of the company. # 39; team.

It's a headache. Cities are happy to live without.

The sublime De Bruyne could justify almost any salary. He is Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo of the city.

Replacing it would cost a lot more than keeping it. And a virtuoso performance in Saturday's 5-0 win against Burnley in the fourth round of the FA Cup was a reminder of the talent Guardiola had to go through, the Belgian has recovered from two knee injuries this season.

Even so, the City Manager feels strong enough to keep De Bruyne on his guard.

"Kevin knows that his position was awarded to Bernardo Silva and Bernardo Silva was one of the best players we have had this season on our team," he said. "He is consistent, offensive and defensive, his production of help, his personality, everything.

"It means that the club works really well. Txiki (Beguiristain), Ferran (Soriano) and everyone does an incredible job. They provide incredible players. "

It's the strength of City's depth that allows Guardiola to continue his quest for an unprecedented quad.

If he considers that the possibility of a complete sweep is impossible, he believes that the larger clubs must stay in search of each trophy offered.

"It is important that we are always there at the end of January," he said. "In big clubs, that's the big difference.

"Which are the best teams of the last decade? Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona. These are the three best teams in Europe. Why? Because every season they win the league, every season they win the cups, every season they are there. Because they are the best.

"We can – do not get close, because it's difficult – but imitate them. Be in the competition until the last stages. Sometimes you are lucky, sometimes not, but be there. That's what I want.

"Premier League, until the end. Carabao Cup final back to back – hat to my players. Cup today, we win the game and get through. Get ready for Schalke.

"It's at that moment that you become a better team and a better club. The best teams have to emulate these three teams, not the others. "