‘We Can See the Finish Line’—Kevin De Bruyne Closes in on Man City Exit

Multiple club officials have publicly confirmed the near completion of a deal to sign Kevin De Bruyne.

Kevin De Bruyne said his goodbyes to Manchester City this week. | IMAGO/Colorsport

Napoli’s sporting director and owner have both revealed that a deal to sign Kevin De Bruyne as a free agent this summer is on the verge of completion after extensive discussions.

De Bruyne confirmed that his Manchester City career would be concluded at the end of his contract this summer after the club refused to offer him a new contract. Rival teams from across Europe and beyond have been far more willing to present the 33-year-old with suitable terms.

After extensive interest from MLS and the Saudi Pro League, recent reports claim that De Bruyne had settled on a move to freshly crowned Serie A champions Napoli.

The Italian club’s sporting director Giovanni Manna confirmed those negotiations and hinted at an imminent conclusion. “Let’s say we’ve been working on it for a long time, we can see the finish line,” he told RAI. “We don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up, but we’re working in that direction. We hope to be able to give our fans a new player because the team deserves it too.”

Napoli’s outspoken owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, revealed that no deal have yet been confirmed. “Until it is all down on paper, you don’t announce something. We’re serious people,” he huffed, before revealing quite how advanced negotiations are.

“I know he’s already checked out a few things,” De Laurentiis noted, “or I even think he’s already bought a lovely place. This morning I was on a video call with him, his wife and his nine-year-old boy and it was a lovely sight; a lovely couple, actually a lovely triplet with the nine-year-old boy.”

Quite who will be in charge of Napoli if and when De Bruyne arrives in southern Italy remains to be seen. After meeting the new Pope, who dismissed suggestions that he supports Roma, Antonio Conte and De Laurentiis sat down with each other to discuss the manager’s future. Gazzetta dello Sport claim that the title-winning coach could amicably walk away while Napoli eye up a move for former Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri.

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