De Bruyne future at Napoli uncertain as possibility of January exit emerges

De Bruyne future at Napoli uncertain as possibility of January exit emerges Kevin De Bruyne is facing an uncertain future at club level, and local reports in Campania suggest that the Belgian superstar could potentially even leave as early as January. Il Mattino: Possibility of a January exit for De Bruyne De Bruyne has been with Napoli for almost 18 months, having joined on a free transfer at the end of his Manchester City contract in the summer of 2025. The 35-year-old has started in all 11 of Napoli’s Serie A matches so far this season. This has followed a disappointing 2024-25 season on an individual level, which saw De Bruyne miss over four months of action with a major hamstring injury midway through the campaign. NAPLES, ITALY – OCTOBER 10: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli controls the ball whilst under pressure Giacomo Calo of Frosinone Calcio during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Frosinone Calcio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on October 10, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) De Bruyne also found himself wrapped up in controversy at the end of last season, when he said that he was ‘happy’ to see head coach Antonio Conte leave , suggesting that he and the coach had a ‘very different vision of football’, adding “I never had the opportunity to play in my preferred position.” Conte has since been replaced by Massimiliano Allegri, who has endured a wretched start to his Napoli career. The Partenopei have lost seven of their first 15 matches under Allegri’s stewardship, they are in 10th place in the Serie A table, already 14 points off the league leaders after 11 matches. They have also lost three of their first four Champions League matches and are currently in 27th place in the European standings, at risk of missing out on qualification to the play-off round. Direct qualification for the round of 16 is already looking impossible. In spite of his obvious quality and experience, De Bruyne’s first year-and-a-half in Italy have not worked out as well as he would have hoped, and now, there have been suggestions that he could leave as early as January. NAPLES, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 13: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli battles for possession with Mikel Amondarain of Bologna FC during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and Bologna FC at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on September 13, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) Napoli, who had a relatively quiet summer transfer window, are expected to make several moves in January, both in terms of incomings and outgoings: Monday’s reports indicate that Allegri wants at least three or four new additions, and reports over the weekend claimed that Lorenzo Lucca, Noa Lang and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are among the most likely names to be sacrificed. Monday’s reports from Il Mattino add that De Bruyne’s future is also uncertain, despite the fact that Allegri has ‘done everything’ to get the Belgian onside. Il Mattino adds that it ‘drastic decisions’ regarding De Bruyne’s future during the January transfer window can not be ruled out at this stage.