Kevin De Bruyne is expected to finalise a free transfer to Serie A champions Napoli over the next fortnight.
The 33-year-old is set for his final Premier League appearance for Manchester City at Fulham as the dethroned champions look to clinch a Champions League spot on the last day of the season.
De Bruyne – who has spent 10 years at the Etihad Stadium and will have a statue in his honour – will then negotiate with Napoli in the days after over a contract for the upcoming campaign. The Belgian is believed to be keen on a two-year deal.
MLS side Chicago Fire had presented interest while Inter Miami initially held his discovery rights. Teams from the Saudi Pro League weren’t given the same encouragement by De Bruyne’s camp as they had a year prior.
Arguably the finest central midfielder since the Premier League’s inception, De Bruyne wants to prove he can still cut it at the highest level.
The impending switch to Naples – where he and his wife married in 2017 – could see him line up against Pep Guardiola’s City in next year’s Champions League.
Kevin De Bruyne is set to make a move to Serie A champions Napoli on a free transfer in May
The Neapolitan side claimed their fourth Scudetto in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season on Friday
De Bruyne waved goodbye to the Etihad during the club’s final game of the season last week
‘When the decision is shared and both agree, it’s easier. When it’s not, because Kevin would have liked to stay and the club decides not to, it’s always difficult,’ Guardiola said.
‘It’s many years, many days, many training sessions, many games, many joys and many bad moments; so many things that come together in a moment when you’ll never be together again.
‘Obviously, they’ll be there when we see each other, but in the day-to-day, when you go to chat and see that place where he was sitting… Oh God, he’s not there anymore.’
Scott McTominay inspired Napoli to the league title as they edged out Inter on the final night of the season by beating Cagliari 2-0. McTominay’s Scotland teammate Billy Gilmour also starred in midfield.
‘I’m happy with the way my life went at City,’ De Bruyne said. ‘There are obviously ups and downs, success, failure, injuries, whatever.
‘But you have to take that and learn from things that go hard sometimes so you can’t expect everything to go 100 per cent all the time.
‘So I’m very happy with the way I’ve been as a person and player and I’d say I’m still an old school football guy, I play on intuition, creativity, passion and I’m happy with that.’
