Napoli have gained separation from the other teams interested in Kevin De Bruyne. They have been working on such a signing ever since he announced he would leave Manchester City about a month ago. Director Giovanni Manna flew to England to test the waters, while his wife traveled to Italy to gauge the destination and the logistics.
According to Alfredo Pedullà, the deal isn’t done like some reports from Belgium indicated, but it is at a good point. The Partenopei have offered a two-year contract with €7/8M wages plus add-ons and an option.
Napoli are currently competing especially with Chicago Fire for De Bruyne, while Liverpool haven’t tabled their proposal despite the buzz. There’s optimism. The parties will continue ironing out the details in the next few days.
Instead, their pursuit of Jonathan David is more convoluted. A recent meeting with his camp wasn’t decisive, Gianluca Di Marzio informs. More talks will follow to possibly shake hands. His agents asked for a release clause, which is one of the sticking points. The summit was meant to assess the requests rather than to seal the deal.
Our Take on Napoli, De Bruyne, and David
Even at his age, adding the Belgian playmaker would be a coup. They need depth at every position, and they’ll find a way to make it work since Antonio Conte has been flexible tactically. The figures are rich for them but within the high-end Serie A standards. It’d be a noticeable leap for a team cautious with their payroll. They already started going in that direction with the coach and Romelu Lukaku last summer.
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