Kevin De Bruyne’s next club CONFIRMED: Green light given to transfer

Robin Bairner

• 12 May 2025 04:55 CDT
• 4 min read

News

Kevin De Bruyne has picked his next club for when he departs Manchester City as a free agent this summer, a blockbuster report from Sky Sports has confirmed.

Man City decided against extending the contract of the 33-year-old, who has become an all-time great at the Etihad Stadium.

De Bruyne has since been littered with offers. The Belgium international might have moved to MLS or the Saudi Pro League, but it quickly became apparent that he wanted to remain in Europe at a competitive side. Premier League clubs were linked with shock moves, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool among those teams ready to move for the veteran playmaker.

Current ETV

Kevin De Bruyne

M, AM (C)

Man City

Kevin De Bruyne

M, AM (C)

Man City

€20.1M

ETV Range

€18.1M - €22.1M

View full profile

But De Bruyne has apparently settled on a move to Napoli, with Sky Sport Switzerland confirming that the former Wolfsburg and Chelsea star has given his “green light” to joining Antonio Conte’s side.

De Bruyne will be offered a two-year contract with the Serie A league leaders, who have put a €7 million salary on the table. Although this is someway short of the €20m per year he currently earns at Manchester City, the favourable Italian tax system means that he will receive a more comparable net wage to the one he earns with Pep Guardiola’s side.

On top of this, he will land a lucrative signing bonus, the size of which is not yet clear.

One sticking point, however, is that De Bruyne is reportedly pushing for a three-year deal.

Napoli see De Bruyne as a ‘godsend’

The decision of the Man City star has been heavily influenced by his friends at Napoli. Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku are said to have conducted various phone calls with De Bruyne, talking him into the move.

Last week, there was a meeting held between Napoli sporting director Giovani Manna and De Bruyne’s advisors outlining the basics of his contract and also the Serie A side’s project.

Conte has already given his approval for a deal while president Aurelio De Laurentiis is said to see the signing of such an iconic player without a transfer fee as a “godsend”.

Manna, speaking on Monday, denied that a deal has been struck.

"It's normal that we are always focused on the market, we are attentive to every opportunity," he said in quotes reported by Sky Sports. 'But talking about it now is absurd, it belittles the work done by the lads and the coach, it doesn't seem right to me.

'We are working, we are attentive to what can happen. But talking about it doesn't help us."

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