Belgian football star Kevin De Bruyne played his last Premier League match for Man City yesterday, and now he focuses fully on what comes next. Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said the midfielder will likely choose his next club within the next week.
De Bruyne looks most likely to join Napoli more than any other team. Sacha Tavolieri, a well-known Belgian journalist from Sky Sports, confirmed that the player has agreed to move to the Italian champions. He made his choice after seeing Napoli’s strong season and their plans for next year.
Napoli’s president, Aurelio De Laurentiis, confirmed all these reports when he spoke to the Naples newspaper Il Mattino. He said his club wants the Man City star, but he also made it clear that finishing the deal depends on De Bruyne himself. He hinted that Napoli won’t give the midfielder a huge salary like other clubs might.
De Laurentiis: We want to sign De Bruyne
De Laurentiis said: “We want Kevin De Bruyne. We are working to sign him, and we need his agreement to complete the move.” Reports said the two sides are still talking about some parts of the deal. They are discussing the length of the contract—whether it will be two years with an option for a third, or a full three-year contract, which De Bruyne prefers so he can fully commit to a new football project.
As Romano explained, Sky Sports had already said the midfielder wants to finish the move before he leaves for his summer holiday. He wants to avoid all the pressure from the constant transfer talk that links him with different clubs. Many people spoke about him joining a team in the United States or the Gulf region, but the links to Napoli now seem stronger than any others.
If this move happens, Kevin will become the seventh Belgian to ever play for Napoli. The first was Bertrand Krasson, who joined them in the summer of 1996. His arrival could also encourage other Belgians to come. Goalkeeper Olivier Renard made just two appearances for the club, and then striker Dries Mertens arrived—he’s seen as Napoli’s most successful Belgian signing. After him came Cyril Ngongi, Leander Dendoncker, and Romelu Lukaku.
