Kevin De Bruyne was reportedly key to Pep Guardiola deciding to pursue a deal for Jack Grealish this summer.
Grealish looks set to complete a £100million move to City from Aston Villa in the coming days after the two clubs agreed the deal.
The midfielder has been linked with a move to the Etihad Stadium throughout this summer, and he now looks set to end his long association with boyhood club Villa.
And according to The Independent, Grealish might not have been snapped up if it wasn’t for City star De Bruyne.
According to the report, after England and Belgium faced off in the Nations League last year, De Bruyne texted Guardiola and about how impressed he was.
Those texts might just have played an important part in Guardiola making up his mind on Grealish, who is now likely to play alongside De Bruyne in the Citizens midfield in the coming season.
And Grealish is just as keen on the Belgian, saying, as cited by the Manchester Evening News: “I’m half starstruck when I play against Kevin De Bruyne because he’s my favourite player ever.
“I think he’s unbelievable, I think he’s easily the best player in the Premier League at the moment.”