De Bruyne officially announced last month that he would leave Manchester City at the end of the season, marking the end of his 10-year tenure at the Etihad Stadium.

The Belgian midfielder, who has won six Premier League titles with City, revealed that the club did not offer him a contract extension, making his decision to leave easier. He scored the winning goal against Wolverhampton on Friday night, strengthening Pep Guardiola’s team’s position in the race for a Champions League spot.

However, Carragher argues that City had no choice but to let De Bruyne go due to his recurring injuries in the last two seasons, making his high salary unjustifiable economically.

He told Sky Sports: “De Bruyne is one of the highest-paid footballers in the world, but he has been frequently injured in the last two years. Financially, it’s hard for City to justify such a new contract.”

“A club like City cannot afford to keep a player with such a high salary who doesn’t play every week. Such wages should belong to a consistent and key player. ‘De Bruyne is still a great player, but he can no longer play every week—probably 20 to 25 games per season. Manchester City couldn’t accept this situation commercially.’

Carragher also commented on De Bruyne’s future: “The interesting thing is that he himself believes he can still play at the top level in European football. He won’t be at City anymore, but I thought he would move to MLS or the Saudi league. Apparently, that’s not his intention. He still believes he can play at the highest level in Europe next season and beyond.”