De Bruyne Joins Napoli: Ex-Manchester City Star Eager to Help Champions Grow

Kevin De Bruyne joins Napoli on a free transfer after a decade at Manchester City. The Belgian midfielder is set to team up with compatriot Romelu Lukaku as Napoli prepares for the new Serie A season.

Kevin De Bruyne is set to make his Napoli debut against Atalanta, eager to kickstart his new chapter with the Serie A champions. The Belgian midfielder's decision to join Napoli was partly driven by the prospect of teaming up with fellow countryman Romelu Lukaku. After a decade-long stint at Manchester City, De Bruyne signed with Napoli on a free transfer last month, following the club's decision not to offer him a contract extension.

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“I have been in the Premier League for so long and in the end I made the decision to go out of England,” De Bruyne told reporters on Saturday.

“I have done what I have done and in the end I am a Man City player for life. It was also with the way that it ended for me, I thought, it is time to find a new challenge.

“When I had the whole project in front of me and then the fact that I could play in Italy and still play at a high level was exciting for me.”

Kevin De Bruyne, who recently turned 34, is looking forward to learning in Italy with the help of teammate Romelu Lukaku. “Napoli already are champions but they are still improving their squad... I am hoping that I can help the team grow and I will also learn from them, a new way of playing, a new competition,” De Bruyne said, expressing his excitement about joining Napoli and adapting to Antonio Conte's side with Lukaku's support.

“Romelu was happy (about the move), I spoke with him in the national team (camp), he wanted me to join. I know Romelu since we were 13 years old, so we are really tight together. When we played in Chelsea we lived together for two or three months.

“It makes it a little bit easier that I know him because he is somebody who can translate for me and it helps because he knows the coach, he knows the team.”

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Napoli's 2025/26 Serie A campaign kicks off on August 23rd with a trip to Sassuolo's Mapei Stadium. The match is scheduled for 17:30 WAT. 

Here's a snapshot of Napoli's upcoming fixtures:

• Matchday 1: Sassuolo vs Napoli, August 23, 17:30 WAT
• Matchday 2: Napoli vs Cagliari, August 30, 20:45 WAT
• Matchday 3: Fiorentina vs Napoli, September 13, 20:45 WAT
• Napoli will play Inter on Matchday 8, October 26, 15:00 WAT, and Juventus on Matchday 14, December 7, 15:00 WAT.