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Napoli chief makes Kevin De Bruyne admission following Man City farewell

© Imago
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis admits that Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne is on the verge of joining the club on a free transfer.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has admitted that Kevin De Bruyne is set to join the Italian champions this summer.

De Bruyne played his final game for Man City on Sunday, featuring as a late substitute in the 2-0 away win over Fulham.

The Belgian helped Pep Guardiola's side seal a third-placed finish and Champions League football for the 2025-26 campaign.

After making 422 competitive appearances for the Citizens, De Bruyne will officially become a free agent when his contract expires on June 30.

De Bruyne looks set to continue his playing career in Europe despite being linked with moves to MLS and the Saudi Pro League.

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates on May 2, 2025© Imago

De Bruyne heading towards Napoli switch

A recent report claimed that De Bruyne has decided to head to Italy to join recently-crowned Serie A champions Napoli.

De Laurentiis has now admitted that De Bruyne was on course to join Napoli on a free transfer, revealing that the playmaker has purchased a house ahead of the switch.

"Probably yes," De Laurentiis told TG2. "I know that he has already bought, or rather, I believe he has already bought a beautiful house. This morning I spoke to him, his wife and his nine-year-old son on a video call."

However, he insisted that the club were not at the stage to officially announce De Bruyne as the newest member of Antonio Conte's squad.

"No, we can't say it until we have something in black and white," De Laurentiis added. "We are serious, that I know."

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne on May 20, 2025© Imago

Chance to continue Champions League career

Napoli are currently celebrating their Serie A title win after they clinched the Scudetto with a 2-0 win over Cagliari on Friday.

Scott McTominay and Romelu Lukaku both got on the scoresheet to secure the Serie A crown in Conte's first season at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

After finishing in 10th place last term, Napoli are now looking forward to returning to the Champions League stage for the 2025-26 campaign.

De Bruyne ultimately feels that he can still perform at the required level to help Napoli compete in Europe's elite competition as well as their title defence.

The 33-year-old may also be keen to test himself in another European league, having previously played in England, Germany and Belgium.

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Written by
Ben Sully

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Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates on March 30, 2025
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