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Serie A Champions Sign Manchester City Legend

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ryan White | Last updated May 31, 2025 3:38 PM ET

Napoli’s first move of the summer transfer window is complete, and it’s a massive one.

The Serie A champions are set to add Belgian maestro Kevin De Bruyne after Manchester City opted to not renew his contract, which expires at the end of June. The move stems from De Bruyne’s recent injury history and their ambition to acquire younger talent.

"Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing but I understand that clubs have to make decisions,” a disappointed De Bruyne said in April. "Obviously, I was a bit surprised but I have to accept it."

According to sources, De Bruyne is anticipated to sign his deal with Napoli at the start of June, with just a few things left to finalize. His close ties with Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku along with his wedding taking place in Sorrento, Italy, makes the transfer an easy decision despite having offers from Liverpool and Chicago Fire.

: Kevin De Bruyne’s move to Napoli is a , reports @DiMarzio pic.twitter.com/7dQubDe3Zc
— 433 (@433) May 31, 2025

The midfielder joined City in 2015 from Wolfsburg at a price of £54.5m. Now, he departs the club as a legend with six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League (UCL) crown, and 16 total trophies.

He’s done playing at Etihad stadium as one of their own, but he left his mark by scoring 108 goals and 177 assists in 422 appearances across all competitions.

Under Antonio Conte, Napoli emerged as an easy choice for De Bruyne, who is rumored to earn around €6m per season plus a €10m signing bonus on a three-year deal.

Kevin De Bruyne’s lawyers are set to arrive in Napoli in the next hours to finalize details of the three-year deal.

Napoli are hopeful to get the agreement done in the next 48h. @MatteMoretto pic.twitter.com/zRHMAtafPw
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 27, 2025

After just narrowly winning the Serie A title over Inter Milan, who take on Paris Saint Germain in the UCL final today, Conte’s Napoli have their eyes on the European tournament in 2026.

De Bruyne’s playmaking and vision are surely to transform their attack for the better and time will tell if it’s a successful move or not.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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