Cristiano Ronaldo? Luis Suarez? Neymar? Sergio Aguero? Hartson reckons this midfield dynamo is better than all of them.
Few would dispute the opinion that Lionel Messi is currently the world’s supreme footballer, but John Hartson said on BT Sport that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez are not even worthy of the runners-up spot.
Instead, the Welshman believes Manchester City’s eminent all-rounder Kevin De Bruyne is only player capable of challenging the five-time Ballon D’Or winner for planetary hegemony.
The Belgian remains Cty’s record signing having arrived at the Etihad from Wolfsburg for £55 million last summer, as reported by the BBC, and has repaid the fee with interest with a series of sublime performances in his debut season which have spilled over into the current campaign under Pep Guardiola, headlined by a brilliant free-kick in the famous Champions League win against Barcelona in midweek.
And Hartson believes this proves that De Bruyne currently warrants a place at the right hand of the game’s Barca-based deity.
“I think De Bruyne, at this moment in time, is the second best player in the world behind Messi,” the former Arsenal and Celtic striker said on BT Sport, as reported by their official Twitter account, to cries of mirth from his fellow presenters.
Hartson subsequently challenged Michael Owen, Robbie Savage and co “Tell me who’s playing better than him in world football right now,” to which the eminent names of Suarez, Gareth Bale, Mesut Ozil and Neymar quite reasonably rang around the studio.
The debate will surely rumble on in the depths of social media but while De Bruyne’s ranking among the world’s best can be disputed, his importance to City should not be underestimated.
The two-time Premier League champions lost four Premier League games in February and March last season when the baby-faced attacker was sidelined with injury, only to return to form immediately upon his return.
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