Napoli are plotting a move for Kevin De Bruyne once his Manchester City contract expires at the end of the season, Calciomercato reports.
The Belgium international announced last month that he would leave the Etihad Stadium after City opted against a contract extension.
The 33-year-old understands that the decision was purely business from City’s side. But he knows he still has plenty to offer at the highest level.
He has opened the door to staying in the Premier League, but Napoli are hoping to capitalise on the opportunity.
Gianluca Di Marzio has claimed that Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, has already met with De Bruyne’s representatives.
He has laid out the club’s plans and where De Bruyne fits in. While the Belgian is enthused by the prospect, he doesn’t want to make any knee-jerk decisions.
De Bruyne wants to assess every possible option at his disposal before choosing his next landing spot.
The competition to sign De Bruyne has been heating up since he and City decided to part ways.
Clubs in Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia are interested. European clubs are also in the mix. In fact, Aston Villa are planning an ambitious move, and they could have the funds to pull it off.
Antonio Conte’s future at Napoli is up in the air. He has complained repeatedly about recruitment, but landing a player of De Bruyne’s calibre could appease the Italian head coach.
Conte is on course to win the Serie A title with Napoli. The Partenopei are three points ahead of Inter Milan in the race for the Scudetto with three games remaining.
The Nerazzurri are not throwing in the towel, but the fate of the Italian holy grail is firmly in Napoli’s grasp. Winning the title could also bolster Napoli’s chances of signing De Bruyne.
The club is hoping that his friendship with Belgian teammate Romelu Lukaku and his desire to stay in Europe could tip the scales in their favour.
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