Kevin De Bruyne could leave Man City midway through tournament with Real Madrid also facing contract chaos
KEVIN DE BRYUNE is one of a number of top stars who could leave their clubs next summer in the MIDDLE of the new Club World Cup.
The newly expanded tournament will feature 32 teams – the Premier League’s representatives are Manchester City and Chelsea – playing in the United States across June and July.
However, Fifa has yet to secure a TV deal for the tournament and confirm venues the games will be played at before the July 13 final.
It has been heavily criticised for adding more fixtures to an already packed calendar.
And these are not the only headaches looming over the tournament.
According to The Telegraph, players competing in the tournament have begun seeing clarity over their contract situations.
This is because the dates of the competition overlap June 30, which is the year-end for registrations globally recognised by Fifa.
Several top stars will see their contract expire on the date next summer, meaning in theory that players could start playing the tournament for one team and end it with another.
Belgium international De Bruyne is one of these.
The report states many more players from the 12 Uefa clubs in the tournament have also asked for clarity over whether they would be allowed to compete due to their contracts being up.
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One source said: “If this had been held last summer, Kylian Mbappe would have started the Club World Cup playing for PSG and ended it at Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid have three major stars who come under this bracket, with Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vasquez all out of contract next summer.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have six players affected by the issue, with Thomas Muller, Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Eric Dier, Sven Ulreich and Alphonso Davies all out of contract next summer.
Davies is a long-term transfer target of Madrid, so may have his future acutely impacted.
Football‘s governing body have created a never-before-seen dilemma with competitive club football not usually played at that time of year, which is when contract decisions are made en masse.
Numerous legal issues surrounding said contracts may also unfold, with factors such as agent fees, salary and insurance all surrounding free agents.
Fifa are expected to announce the venues for the tournament in the coming weeks, with much of it set to be played in the eastern USA.
The expected venues are the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey; Washington DC’s FedEx Field; Philadelphia’s Subaru Park; Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium, Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium; Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium; Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium and Seattle’s Lumen Field.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino also faces problems such as audience interest in the States and a potential player revolution before it comes about.
Man City star Rodri has hinted it may be a possibility for players to ensure they are heard, after persistent complaints that they are not listened to over concerns of match load.