I could hand on heart guarantee that if I'd earned the kind of cash that De Bruyne has I would definitely put morals above money and turn Saudi Arabia down flat. It should be an easy decision in his position and should be for anyone with a moral compass.
Not that it'll change anyone's entrenched opinion about the Middle East, unless its Palestine of course, pick and choose your Arab stance etc, but KDB may be thinking its an opportunity to fund some of the several kids charities he's involved in.
I can see what you’re saying - but surely it would be morally right to look after your family even more? Tax free millions of pounds to set up not only your generation below but the one below that too. He’s already created a legacy, one to which many would argue he’s in the top 5 maybe even the top midfielder to play in the Prem. He’s been the main attraction of a treble winning team, a 4 consecutive title winning team but 6 in total, 5 league cups and 2 fa cups while being a captain and a leader. A well deserved pay cheque in my eyes. Do you wish to have a healthy pension pot when retiring? Everyone does, same scenario.
It’s just the same scenario, different ‘social classes’ of course. But he’ll be retiring so of course he needs to think about money for when he does. A lot of footballers, especially Brazilians, often come from nothing. Why would you not try and get all you can so you can skip that pain for your following generations? I think many people are envious of people with money - it’s not their fault people are offering them 500k a week? But you’d be a fool to not take it.
That's the point though, he's already way, way beyond the point where he needs to think about money. Going from 350k a week to 500k a week is completely different to going from 35k a year to 50k a year
I'd like to think I would put a moral stance over future generations of my family. I'm not a total idealist but my step daughter is making her own way in the world quite happily and doesn't want money from me or her mum. I retired with significantly less than one week of de Bruyne's current wages in the bank and am as happy as Larry. Money helps but it's far from the be all and end all of life.
When should the cut off be to not earn more money? There shouldn’t. People commit their life - even their childhood - to football. Theoretically, he’s been working way below the age you should start working. A player gets paid what he’s worth. Shirt sales, competition bonuses, growth of a club, best midfielder in the world so massive marketing opportunity, absolutely all sorts as to why he’ll be worth 500k a week to Al-Ittihad. He might not be worth 500k to US but to some rich Saudis with unlimited funds then he probably is.
Correct. Money buys freedom, freedom creates happiness. Freedom, which can be interpreted in many aways depending on your perspective, to me is having the time and space freedom to do what I want. The more money he has the more it will enable him to have more memories, time, holidays, activities, many other things with his children. Some people don’t get to spend their time with their children so they can give their children a home or food or electricity. I bet if you asked someone who has a life like that, that they would snatch your hand off for 500k a week, because it would be morally correct for them to take it and enable said person to be around their children for all their needs and more.
I'm not saying that there is a cutoff. I'm just saying that any suggestion that he needs this money for retirement or is basically obliged to take it to secure his family's wellbeing is completely daft.
And let's state the BASIC salary as an annual figure... This per week business somehow seems to lose some of its impact, so let's make it an annual figure. If DeBruyne was gifted £350,000 a week.... That equates to £18.2 million a year. On say a 4 year contract (may be more, may be less)... That's 72.8 million! Obviously he'll have significant bonuses and image rights and sponsorship deals on top of that. And its not like he's only been massively paid for 4 years. So I see no reason at all, other than morality bending avarice to soil your reputation still more deeply by going to a known human rights violator and climate destroyer, to seek a salary of £500k a week... Or again, annually, £26 million! I can't think of a better industry to tax the absolute crap out of. Start with a 10% levy on all transfer fees that goes to your local mayoralty to invest in local projects, then pick a number on what tax band you want to tax the higher earners in football. And let's just consider those poor lambs on a mere £20k a week. They are still "earning" over a million pounds a year.
Well of course someone on an average wage would snap someone's hand off for £500k a week. But De Bruyne already has enough money that he has complete freedom for the rest of his life, and an extra few million will grant him no extra freedom above what he already has. It's greed for the sake of greed.
He’s hardly earning money from the mother Theresa foundation now - sports washed oil money either way. He may also be thinking the more he earns the more he can fund the charities he’s involved in; which number several. If he never earns another penny he’s not going to be at the food bank let’s face it, he’s not short of a few quid. Makes no odds. Some would refuse it, fair enough, but if an offer came to me to do the same job, only at a much more sedate pace and it being markedly easier to do the job, for double, treble, five times, whatever it is the money, wouldn’t hesitate. If I was already minted, but doing so meant that I, my kids and even my future grandkids would likely be set up for life - you might argue I’d be putting my morals above my family if I didn’t do it. Up to him. But I’m criticising nobody that makes that choice. I might be left wing politically and have a great social conscience in many ways but I won’t ever call anyone out for accepting a higher wage for their honest labours. Wherever it comes from.
Yeah I don't believe anyone could ever have enough cash. There would always be something or someone to spend it on regardless if the amount. Even if you were earning 10 million pounds a week, if someone came in and offered you 50 million pounds a week you are more likely to accept it than think you've enough. Even if you've everything you can wish for you can just give it away to friends, family and charities.
https://talksport.com/football/1975293/kevin-de-bruyne-al-ittihad-ederson-man-city-transfer-news/ the fab guy on twitter claims the same too
Maybe I'm in a minority here. But isn't this what's at the heart of what's wrong with our modern world? That more is always to be allowed, be admired irrespective of where its from and what greater cost was given to attain it? And before anyone says if I were in that position, i'd take the money... I chose to retire at 48.
The more you earn, the less it matters in my opinion. That’s when you start to choose what you want for you, not necessarily the monetary value. In this case though, it will create a more competitive English league. So will be a good thing.