Kevin De Bruyne's Premier League legacy analysed as Napoli confirm signing of Man City legend

Napoli have confirmed the long-awaited signing of Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, as the 33-year-old officially brings the curtain down on a 10-year Etihad career.

The former Chelsea prospect confirmed earlier this year that he would depart Pep Guardiola's side when his contract ran out at the end of the season, as the Citizens decided against handing him an extension.

Lucrative moves to either Saudi Arabia or MLS were inevitably mooted for De Bruyne, but the 33-year-old still felt that he had plenty to offer in European football.

Aston Villa were supposedly considering handing him a Premier League lifeline, but the Lions did not follow up their initial interest, and Napoli quickly moved to the head of the queue to strike a deal for the playmaker.

After De Bruyne was seen arriving in Naples for his medical on Thursday, the reigning Serie A champions officially unveiled him as their newest marquee signing in a series of social media posts later in the afternoon.

Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis welcomes De Bruyne to Italy

Club president Aurelio de Laurentiis shared an image of him and De Bruyne shaking hands with the caption "Benvenuto Kevin!", as the smiling Belgium international donned a Napoli shirt.

The midfielder is understood to have penned an initial two-year agreement with the Italian champions until the summer of 2027, and the Partenopei can also extend his terms by an additional 12 months.

De Bruyne's switch to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona will see him join forces with international teammate Romelu Lukaku, as well as becoming the latest lynchpin to move from the Premier League to Naples.

Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay left Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester United respectively to join Conte's team, while Philip Billing also played his part in their Scudetto success last season following his loan arrival from Bournemouth.

Napoli pipped Inter Milan to the Serie A title by just one point last season, while De Bruyne contributed six goals and eight assists from 40 games in his final campaign in a Man City strip.

De Bruyne's Man City legacy analysed as Napoli move confirmed

De Bruyne's final campaign at the Etihad may not have gone entirely to plan - both on the pitch and off the pitch as he was denied the chance to leave on his own terms - but he nevertheless leaves with legendary status.

The 33-year-old won no fewer than 18 major honours at Man City, more or less completing football by clinching the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, FA Cup and EFL Cup.

De Bruyne's 422 appearances for Man City also brought a sensational 285 direct goal contributions - 108 of his own and 177 assists - and his four Player of the Year awards are the joint-most alongside Richard Dunne.

Seventy-two of those goals and 121 of those assists came in the Premier League - he only trails Ryan Giggs's 162 in the latter category - and his 20 helpers in 2019-20 remains a joint all-time high with Thierry Henry.

Standout displays against Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest last season showed that De Bruyne's class is permanent, and one of the greatest players to ever grace English shores should continue to show off his dazzling playmaking skills in a different shade of blue.

Written by
Ben Knapton