Kevin De Bruyne wants to set the record straight and Saturday night was the time to do it.

"I haven't spoken to anyone, to be honest. There has been a lot of noises and news," he says. "I've not been entertained by anybody or spoken to anybody."

This is music to the ears of Manchester City fans, who would have been worried in the summer when De Bruyne admitted his head could be turned by an 'absurd' offer from Saudi Arabia. With one year left on his contract, there were a few nervous weeks where it looked like the Blues could lose their talisman (and arguably their best-ever player).

At the start of the summer, he said: "I still have one year left on my contract, so I have to think about what could happen. At my age you have to be open to everything. You're talking about incredible amounts of money in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that."

"I have more than enough money. But if an absurd amount comes... that is also for my family, my relatives, my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren and my friends."

Some reassurance, but not a total shut door on Saudi Arabia. Pep Guardiola used his first press conference of the summer in North Carolina to say 'Kevin isn't leaving', although he later back-tracked a little to sow those seeds of doubt again.

So now the transfer window has shut and De Bruyne has stayed, what happens next?

De Bruyne is looking sharp at the start of the season, wearing the armband as Kyle Walker is yet to start a game and he has surprised himself at how well he is performing.

"I haven't spoken to anyone, to be honest," he said. "There has been a lot of noises and news. I said in the summer I expect a quiet summer and that's actually what happened. I've been on holiday for four weeks, came back and started training.

"That was it. Nothing to tell. I've not been entertained by anybody or spoken to anybody. I wanted to chill out, nothing came, so I came back and train."

This is De Bruyne in a nutshell: laid back and blase yet straight to the point. No messing about, but also a bit cryptic. His honesty about the potential money on offer is surely what most players think about the Saudi Pro League. Yet he has everything he wants and needs at City.

So what now? He is out of contract in June and there have been no talks of an extension so far. He will turn 34 at the start of any new deal. His performance levels remain high, but he is nearing the end of his career and spent half of last season injured.

"I just want to start well and play football. Once the season goes on, I'm sure there will be conversations to be had with City," he says. "It was the transfer market, I don't want to be busy with that. I just want to feel good, play good football and this will come in the upcoming months. I don't really feel the rush for the moment.

"I don't really know [what is important in contract talks]. Family is obviously an important factor whatever happens. When you talk to people you have to make a decision. It's very hard to talk hypothetically because obviously there are things you want as a family, as a person, as a project. But when I don't know anything there's not a lot I can say."

Mention of 'a project' is an interesting side note. What else is there for De Bruyne to achieve at City? And on the other hand, where else could he have everything so tailor-made to continue performing at the highest level?

He continues: "Obviously I appreciate the time and the effort that goes from the team, players and club to help me perform at that level. I try to help the team, it's vice versa working together.

"I know what the team can give me, there's nothing really new that I can learn. Obviously we'll see what happens when the conversation starts."

As ever, De Bruyne dangles a carrot but leaves as many questions unanswered as he seeks to answer. What is certain, however, is that De Bruyne is perfectly calm about his future after a summer of surprise speculation. And he's looking dangerously close to his best even this early in the campaign.