Kevin De Bruyne plotting ambitious Manchester City reunion at Napoli – Pep Guardiola ready to sanction sale | OneFootball

Kevin De Bruyne is aiming to reunite with one former Manchester City teammate in Naples after joining the Serie A champions on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old has penned a two-year deal at Napoli after arriving at the end of his Manchester City contract, having won six Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title and a plethora of domestic silverware at the Etihad Stadium.

De Bruyne is one of Manchester City’s most decorated players and the Belgium international admitted to disappointment at the club’s decision to not offer him a contract extension, which ultimately saw him join Napoli.

Hugo Viana was appointed Manchester City’s director of football earlier this summer and the Portuguese has wasted no time in laying down a marker, playing a part in the club’s decision to let De Bruyne leave and spearheading their pursuit of new signings Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.

After months of speculation over his future, De Bruyne broke a long-held silence by confirming that this would be his final season in a Manchester City shirt, having joined the Blues for £55 million from Wolfsburg in 2015 for a then club-record fee.

The playmaker struggled to maintain fitness for much of the recent season, admitting so himself that the squad’s collective drop-off was as much a reason for him not being offered a new deal as his own performances and availability.

However, despite what can be classed as a rather sad ending to an illustrious Manchester City career for the midfielder, De Bruyne led from the front and dragged Guardiola and co over the line and into next season’s UEFA Champions League in the business end of the season.

From a man-of-the-match performance against Crystal Palace to a crucial winner against Wolves, De Bruyne was instrumental for Manchester City in their primary and most important objective of the season – qualification for the Champions League.

Having arrived in Naples and completed a transfer after passing a medical, De Bruyne is now eyeing an emotional reunion with an ex-teammate from Manchester ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Sun Sport are reporting that the former Manchester City man is keen for Napoli manager Antonio Conte to secure the arrival of wantway forward Jack Grealish, with the Serie A winners keen on signing one of the England international or Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho.

Grealish is expected to leave Manchester City this summer and has been given Guardiola’s blessing to revitalise his career to stake a claim in Thomas Tuchel’s 2026 FIFA World Cup England squad – after being snubbed by the Three Lions boss in his first two squad selections since his appointment.

Manchester City’s record signing knows where he stands in Guardiola’s pecking order and time is running out for Grealish to prove himself to Tuchel. City are understood to be open to sanctioning a season-long loan for the former Aston Villa skipper should the suitor club commit to a permanent purchase next summer.