Everton Face Napoli Conditions Over Ex-City Maestro: Should They Bother?

Everton Face Napoli Conditions Over Ex-City Maestro: Should They Bother? Everton’s reported interest in Kevin De Bruyne faces strict conditions before it goes anywhere. According to Sport Witness , citing Corriere del Mezzogiorno, Napoli will only release the 35-year-old Belgian midfielder in January if he pushes hard for an exit and they receive adequate compensation without paying severance. De Bruyne is still evaluating his future, so nothing is close to settled. PSV Eindhoven reportedly hold an advantage, because De Bruyne wants to live in nearby Belgium. The same report considers Everton unlikely to meet Napoli’s financial demands. The Friedkin Group announced on 9 October that it is exploring a sale of a controlling interest, and David Moyes, who wants a striker and a left-back first, has played down expectations of January business. What De Bruyne still offers The creative quality is intact. FotMob credits De Bruyne with four goals, one assist and 23 chances created in 623 Serie A minutes this season, and his expected assists of 2.31 outstrip his actual return. The concerns are just as clear. He has started only six of his 11 league appearances, a high-grade hamstring tear needed surgery last season, and Il Mattino reports disagreements with teammates. That supply would suit Thierno Barry, who has 10 goals in 13 appearances and is effectively Everton’s only senior striker after Beto joined Fiorentina on deadline day. Jack Grealish, Everton ‘s other creative option, is suspended for a breach of discipline, and his future is in doubt. Should Everton pursue De Bruyne in January? NAPLES, ITALY – NOVEMBER 08: Kevin De Bruyne of SSC Napoli during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and SS Lazio at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on November 08, 2026 in Naples, Italy. (Photo by Francesco Pecoraro/Getty Images) No, and the money argues against it more loudly than the football does. Everton sit sixth, and Barry’s goals are a major reason. If he picks up an injury, Moyes has nobody to replace him, because the £40m move for Folarin Balogun collapsed and Beto has gone. A striker is the priority, followed by a left-back, and De Bruyne addresses neither. His fee and wages would also land while the club has no settled ownership, which makes a short-term gamble on a 35-year-old hard to defend. His reduced mobility matters too, as Moyes’ side relies on organisation and effort rather than individual invention. If Everton admire him, the sensible route is patience. His Napoli contract expires in June 2027, so a free transfer next summer would cost far less than a mid-season fight with Napoli and PSV.