Inter Miami drops out of Kevin De Bruyne race as MLS rivals emerge as favorites
Inter Miami appear to have pulled out of the running to sign Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne in the summer with MLS rivals Chicago Fire now the favorites to land the Belgian
Any hopes soccer fans may have had of seeing Kevin De Bruyne lining up alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez have now been dashed, with Inter Miami dropping out of the race to sign the Manchester City legend.
Set to depart the Etihad this summer, De Bruyne’s MLS Discovery Rights had been picked up by David Beckham’s franchise, essentially allowing the Herons the first right of refusal to negotiate with the Belgian.
However, Miami is said to have relinquished his rights, with the Chicago Fire now seemingly leading the race to sign the 33-year-old, as per the BBC. This is not the first time former U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Gregg Berhalter’s side has been linked with De Bruyne, with the Eastern Conference team having previously been touted as a leading contender to sign the six-time Premier League champion by The Athletic.
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Beckham and Co.’s apparent decision to formally drop out of the running for De Bruyne clears the path for Chicago to make a move – one which, on paper at least, makes far more sense for both Miami and the former Chelsea star.
With Messi, Suarez, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets already on Miami’s roster, they have by far the MLS’ heaviest wage bill at around $26.4 million – almost $10 million more than Toronto FC in second, via Capology. By comparison, Chicago’s total salary bill for 2025 is a comparatively meager $9.2 million.
Another major stumbling block between Miami and a move for De Bruyne was also their lack of available Designated Player roster spots.
Each MLS team has three spots available for players who can be paid above the league maximum of $743,750, but will only count for the aforementioned amount against their overall cap. While Messi, Busquets, and Alba all occupy a DP spot for Miami, Chicago still has one available to join Jonathan Bamba and Hugo Cuypers.
Should the Fire successfully negotiate a deal with De Bruyne, whose camp is set to meet with Chicago, he could join as soon as July 1, with his current deal set to end on June 30. However, this could yet change, with the Belgian said to be unwilling to play for City at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
The new-look tournament is scheduled to kick off in the U.S. on June 14 and run through July 13, with City drawn into Group G with Juventus, Al Ain, and Wydad AC. De Bruyne will, theoretically, be under contract through the Group Stage, but according to the Daily Star, he is said to be keen not to participate in order to avoid picking up an injury ahead of his next move.
As such, De Bruyne may only have four games left under Pep Guardiola, starting with Southampton on May 10 before the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium against Crystal Palace on May 17. His final home game will see Bournemouth travel to Manchester on May 20, before they close out their season at Fulham five days later.
