Football
ESPN staff 9y

Man City target Kevin De Bruyne wins Player of the Year award in Germany

Kevin De Bruyne has been named Player of the Year in Germany after beating Arjen Robben and Manuel Neuer to the prize.

De Bruyne, 24, was voted as the Bundesliga's top player by the nation's journalists after a stunning season to help Wolfsburg finish as runners-up to champions Bayern Munich.

The Belgium international -- who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City -- scored 10 league goals last season and set up 20 more to edge Bayern duo Robben and Neuer to kicker's award.

"To be voted best player in a country abroad means a lot," De Bruyne said. "This is the reward for my season."

De Bruyne received 367 of the 814 votes cast, while there was more good news for Wolfsburg as Dieter Hecking won the corresponding coaching award.

Hecking beat Augsburg's Markus Weinzierl (second) and Borussia Monchengladbach's Lucien Favre (third), while Pep Guardiola came in eighth despite lifting the Bundesliga title with Bayern.

Dieter Hecking has said his club have received no offer from City for De Bruyne, despite the Daily Mirror reporting that the Premier League club could pay £60 million to break the British transfer record.

Last week, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho said he had no regrets over selling De Bruyne, insisting the Belgian lacked the necessary mentality to succeed at Chelsea.

Mourinho sold De Bruyne to Wolfsburg for £18m in January 2014 and maintains it was the player's decision to quit Stamford Bridge.

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