Kevin de Bruyne joins Man City from Wolfsburg

MANCHESTER, England (AP) Kevin de Bruyne joined Manchester City from Wolfsburg for a reported fee of more than 50 million pounds ($77 million) on Sunday, making the Belgium midfielder the second most expensive player in the history of English football.

The Premier League leaders said the 24-year-old De Bruyne signed a six-year deal. The club didn't disclose the fee but British media reports said it could rise up to 58 million pounds ($89 million) with incentives.

It took City's outlay this summer close to $250 million as the club looks to reclaim the Premier League title and win it for a third time in five years. England winger Raheem Sterling and Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi were the other expensive signings in this transfer window.

De Bruyne returns to England less than two years after being sold by Chelsea, whose manager Jose Mourinho claimed the Belgian was unhappy at not being a first-team regular. He starred at Wolfsburg, scoring 13 goals and setting up 27 more in 52 Bundesliga games and was recently named Germany's footballer of the year.

''It takes a special footballer to improve our squad and I have no doubt that Kevin is certainly one of those - he has all of the mental, physical, tactical and technical attributes required to fit straight in,'' City manager Manuel Pellegrini said.

''We like to play attractive, attacking football and bringing in a player like De Bruyne will only aid us as we fight on four fronts.''

The transfer fee smashed the previous Bundesliga record for an outgoing player, the 41 million euros (?46.7 million) Liverpool spent for Brazil forward Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim in June. Only Angel Di Maria, who cost Manchester United 59.7 million pounds (then $99 million) last summer, has cost more in the English game.

German media reported that Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs and coach Dieter Hecking tried to convince the attacking midfielder to stay another year at the Volkswagen-backed club. De Bruyne had a contract with Wolfsburg to 2019.

De Bruyne came to prominence at Genk, scoring 16 goals in 97 competitive games for the side and helping it to win the Belgian league in 2011. He signed for Chelsea in January 2012 but remained at Genk until the end of the season and joined Werder Bremen on loan for the next. He scored 10 goals and set up nine more in 33 Bundesliga games for Bremen.

De Bruyne returned to Chelsea for the 2013-14 season but was unable to force himself into the team - he played six competitive games, three each in the league and Champions League, and only two as a starter - before he was sold to Wolfsburg in January 2014 for a reported ?20 million ($23 million).

De Bruyne, who has 33 appearances for Belgium, is likely to line up on the right of an attacking-midfield trio at City behind Sergio Aguero.

''I want to reach the highest level possible as a player and I think the most important thing is that at the end of the season we can be happy and maybe have some titles,'' De Bruyne said.

''I think this is the most important for the club, the players and for the fans of course.''

City has won all four of its league games this season, scoring 10 goals without conceding.

The club has been able to spend lavishly again this summer after UEFA relaxed its Financial Fair Play rules restrictions.

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Associated Press writer Ciaran Fahey in Berlin contributed to this report.