Kevin de Bruyne backed to leave Man City if Champions League appeal fails

Kevin de Bruyne has said he would consider leaving Manchester City if the club were banned from the Champions League for two seasons.

Kevin de Bruyne is right to consider leaving Manchester City if their two-year ban from the Champions League was upheld, according to former defender Joleon Lescott.

City were handed a two-year ban from UEFA competition in February, with the club's appeal against the sanctions to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport next month. If City lose the appeal, they will not be able to play in the Champions League until 2022.

Naturally, that prospect has seen speculation grow about City's best players and whether they would remain at the club without European football.

Earlier in May, De Bruyne admitted that a two-year absence might be too much for the 28-year-old, and he didn't rule out looking to leave the Etihad in that scenario.

He told HLN: "I'm just waiting. The club has told us that they are going to appeal and that they are almost 100 per cent sure that they are right. That's why I'm waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team.

"Once the statement is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, in the case of one year I might see."

Now, former City defender Lescott says he understands De Bruyne's position, likening the decision to his move from Everton to the Etihad in 2009.

"It's hard to say if he'll stay, only he knows," Lescott told The Beautiful Game Podcast.

"But I totally understand what he's saying because that was my thought process when I was at Everton. Everton were good to me, I enjoyed it there, but then I thought in my prime years, optimal years of playing, how realistic is it for Everton to be challenging for the title as it is for Man City to be challenging for the title.

"That was the decision I made and the thought process behind leaving and obviously joining Man City and challenging for the titles. I'm sure that will be the decision behind Kevin de Bruyne. If he decides to leave, he'll think 'who's the most capable team of winning the Champions League whilst Man City are not in there?'

"Hopefully that doesn't happen. Hopefully neither of them things happen. Obviously they're going to try and fight their corner, they believe they were right in what they were doing. So hopefully there's some common ground and they can reach an agreement."

De Bruyne's comments over his future also saw him discuss his loyalty to City, saying he has turned down moves away before and would expect that loyalty to be repaid.

“In recent years, and before then too, there have been many teams who have polled and may have asked what I like. But to be honest, I'm very happy with City," De Bruyne continued.

"I play for one of the best teams in the world, play in England - for my competitive view the best competition - and I like that. It remains a challenge to be the best and I need that too. What is coming is coming. But it's not that I've tried to leave City in those five years. I have also remained calm for my previous transfers. I have never had any problems and have always waited for my moment. With respect, because I think you get most of it back. Even outside of football"