Napoli are closing in on the signing of Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer, according to reports in Italy.
Belgian playmaker De Bruyne will leave City at the end of the season when his contract expires.
He confirmed the news of his departure in April, telling fans: “Dear Manchester, Seeing this you probably realise where this is heading. So I’ll get straight to it and let you all know that these will be my final months as a Manchester City player.
“Nothing about this is easy to write, but as football players, we all know this day eventually comes. That day is here, and you deserve to hear it from me first.”
Liverpool quickly emerged as a shock destination for De Bruyne, and Reds superstar Mohamed Salah teased a potential transfer by saying there is “space for him” at Anfield.
“I want to tell him congratulations for your career,” Salah told Sky Sports. “He’s done a phenomenal job at City, and he was great for the league.
“I really wish him the best…and we have a space for him!”
De Bruyne has previously stated he would be open to playing for another Premier League club, clearly still confident he can perform at the highest level.
However, newly-crowned Italian champions Napoli have now emerged as the frontrunners for the 33-year-old’s signature.
According to Alfredo Pedulla, De Bruyne has opted to begin a new chapter in Serie A – and only final formalities stand in the way of the move being announced.
Speculation began earlier this month when De Bruyne’s wife was ‘surprisingly’ spotted in Naples, and while Liverpool were linked with a late move, no serious ‘pressure’ on Napoli’s pursuit ever materialised.
Pedulla reports that De Bruyne had already prioritised Napoli and, over the past week, ‘broken connections with any other club’.
The proposed deal will see him sign a two-year contract with an option for a third, earning around €7-8million per year plus bonuses.
Sources close to the player confirm he has already ‘chosen’ to join Napoli and that there will be no last-minute twists.
The move marks a major coup for the Italian side, who are aiming to win back-to-back Serie A titles.
Napoli won the Scudetto in 2023 and failed to build on that success before Antonio Conte’s arrival last summer.
During his nine-year spell at Man City, De Bruyne won five Premier League titles, a Champions League, and numerous individual honours.
Widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, KDB is set to begin a new chapter in Naples.