The Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne revealed on Saturday how fellow countryman and long -term national teammate Romelu Lukaku played a role in his move to the Italian club Napoli.
De Bruyne is over to go on the Serie A champion Napoli after he has not offered a contract extension by Manchester City, and said that connecting with Lukaku was part of the profession.
«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,» said the former city player reporters.
«It makes it a little easier that I know him because he is someone who can translate for me and helps because he knows the coach, he knows the team.»
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De Bruyne, considered one of the largest midfielders in the Premier League history, ended a shimmering ten years in the city at the end of last season and came to Napoli on a free transfer last month.
«I have been to the Premier League for so long and in the end I made the decision to go from England,» De Bruyne told reporters on Saturday.
“I did what I did and in the end I am a MAN City player for life. It was also with the way it ended for me, I thought, it’s time to find a new challenge.
«When I had the entire project for me and then the fact that I could play in Italy and still play at a high level, I was exciting for me.»
De Bruyne, who turned 34 last month, said that he had a lot to learn in Italy, but with polyglot Lukaku by his side, the learning curve looks much less steep when he adapts to the side of Antonio Conte.
«Napoli is already champions, but they are still improving their team … I hope I can help the team grow and I will also learn from them, a new way of playing, a new competition,» De Bruyne added.
Napoli starts on August 13 with a Serie A campaign 2025–26 with a trip to Sassuolo.
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