Kevin De Bruyne Shines in New Chapter at Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne Shines in New Chapter at Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne Shines in New Chapter at Napoli

Kevin De Bruyne has been described this week as 'legendary', 'pure class', and 'on another level'.

The Belgian midfielder is experiencing one of his best starts to a season since joining Napoli on a free transfer this summer, raising the question: did he leave Manchester City a year too early?

The departure of senior players from City has been widely reported, with notable exits including Ederson, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan, and Kyle Walker.

De Bruyne was also considered surplus to requirements despite his impressive record of 16 trophies and over 400 appearances. Reluctantly, he made the move to Napoli when his contract expired in June.

In April, De Bruyne expressed his surprise at the decision, stating, "I was a bit surprised but I just have to accept it. Honestly, I still think I can perform at this level like I'm showing, but I understand clubs have to make decisions." It seems the 34-year-old was right in his self-assessment.

De Bruyne's Best Scoring Start

De Bruyne has begun the 2025-26 season in exceptional form, highlighted by two penalty goals during Belgium's 4-2 victory over Wales on Monday night.

He has recorded 11 goal involvements in 12 appearances for both club and country this season, with three assists and eight goals. This marks his best goalscoring start to a campaign, having only surpassed this tally in the 2023-24 and 2019-20 seasons.

City's Loss is Napoli's Gain

The Belgian has seamlessly adapted to life in Serie A. While he has yet to register a league assist, he ranks among the top midfielders for chances created.

His three goals are only surpassed by AC Milan's Christian Pulisic and Bologna's Riccardo Orsolini, who have four goals each, and few midfielders have recorded more shots on target.

Meanwhile, Manchester City has had a solid but unremarkable start to the season, with six wins, two draws, and two defeats from their first ten matches. One of these victories was against De Bruyne's Napoli at the Etihad Stadium, where his much-anticipated return was cut short after just 26 minutes due to a red card for teammate Giovanni di Lorenzo.

Despite that anticlimactic moment, De Bruyne's strong start to the 2025-26 season suggests he could have remained a vital part of Pep Guardiola's squad. Among City's current midfielders and wingers, only Jeremy Doku comes close to matching his goals and assists.

De Bruyne appears to be fully fit, having struggled with injuries towards the end of his time in the Premier League. He made only 34 league starts over the past two seasons with City but has already started five of Napoli's six Serie A matches, coming off the bench in the other. "I feel good," he said regarding his time in Italy. "I'm playing a lot and I'm in good shape."

Taking Belgium to Another World Cup

De Bruyne has represented Belgium in three World Cups and remains one of the last players from the country's celebrated 'golden generation'.

Roberto Martinez, his former national coach and now the manager of Portugal, remarked in 2022, "We're so lucky to have a player like Kevin. For me, he's the most incredible playmaker in world football at this present time." However, since Martinez's departure, Belgium has seen two new head coaches, and De Bruyne was recently stripped of the captaincy by the current coach, Rudi Garcia. Garcia appointed Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans as the new skipper, citing him as a crucial link between the golden generation and younger players.

Accepting the decision gracefully, De Bruyne has responded by scoring five goals in his first four matches under Garcia, including a double against Wales that propelled Belgium to the top of their qualifying group, putting them on the verge of a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance.

As De Bruyne approaches his 35th birthday next summer during the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, he shows no signs of slowing down.

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