Former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has claimed that Kevin de Bruyne will not win the Ballon d’Or this season despite a stunning season for Manchester City.
The Belgian playmaker is one of the front-runners for the award this year, alongside Real Madrid star Karim Benzema, having played a key role in another title success at the Etihad Stadium. He ended the season with the highest goalscoring tally of his career with 19, including a sensational four-goal haul in a thumping win over Wolverhampton Wanderers recently. Meanwhile, he also managed to notch a further 14 assists.
Despite those statistics, van Gaal has claimed that De Bruyne could be overlooked for the Ballon d’Or this season due to France Football’s preference for forwards or wingers for the award. Luka Modric is the only midfielder to win the award in the last 15 years, owing to the duopoly of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
