OMNISPORT

Kevin De Bruyne's agent claims he will use Neymar and Kylian Mbappe as benchmarks when negotiating a new contract for the Manchester City midfielder.

De Bruyne has been in superb form for Pep Guardiola's side over recent weeks, scoring the winning goal against Premier League champions Chelsea at the end of last month before turning in a virtuoso display during Saturday's 7-2 demolition of Stoke City.

The 26-year-old Belgium international told reporters in September that he expected talks to take place soon and that he was keen to extend a deal that still has three seasons to run after the current campaign.

City are understood to be paying De Bruyne in the region of £115,000 per week at present, but his representative Patrick De Koster believes the astronomical contracts handed to PSG duo Neymar and Mbappe this year provide relevant guidance for his client's value.

The Brazil superstar reportedly earns in the region of €600,000 weekly at the Parc des Princes and, after Guardiola batted away comparisons between his current star man and Lionel Messi before Tuesday's Champions League clash with Napoli, De Koster is inclined to see De Bruyne in the same company.

"In the coming months, I'll meet with City to figure out how to improve and extend his contract," he said, as quoted by The Sun.

"His salary? I cannot say. But if you think what Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are being paid, you can picture."

Speaking after the 5-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace last month, De Bruyne said: "I am very happy at City. Everything is going well for me.

"I have no reason to go anywhere else. The project City have is superb, so it's best for me."