Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has reached a verbal agreement to join Napoli, according to reports from Italy.
The 33-year-old will become a free agent this summer after City decided not to renew his contract, which expires in June.
De Bruyne insists he can still play at the highest level and has not ruled out the possibility of signing for another Premier League club.
The Belgium international has already attracted significant interest, with Aston Villa and MLS side Chicago Fire among the clubs that have submitted offers.
However, Sky Sport Italy reports that De Bruyne has ‘agreed’ to join Napoli and has made it clear to the club that he and his family are willing to move to Italy.
The report adds that Napoli has not yet reached a contract agreement, but the recently crowned Serie A champions are in the best position to secure De Bruyne’s signature.
On Friday evening, Napoli clinched the Serie A title on the final weekend of the season with a 2-0 victory over Cagliari at home.
Speaking during his club’s Serie A title celebrations, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis was asked about the possibility of a move for De Bruyne.
“Let’s stop making inappropriate offers,” De Laurentiis said. “We are working to build an even stronger and more competitive team without taking anything away from the incredible ones and we will add others of the highest level.”
Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku, who plays alongside De Bruyne for the Belgian national team, was also asked if he had spoken to the midfielder about joining Antonio Conte’s side.
“No comment,” the former Manchester United striker said with a smile.
Speaking after City’s defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final last weekend, De Bruyne revealed that his family’s happiness would play a major role in his choice of next club.
“Everything has to come together, my family and I. When you are 20 and you make a decision, it’s easy, you can move to another country and it’s not a problem,” De Bruyne said.
“I want to make the best decision for my children, my wife, school, life, things you need to think about. I will make that decision whenever I am ready and comfortable, so that’s the most important thing, finishing these two games and then making a decision, but it’s not that easy. I have to take care of my family and my children and my wife. It’s not an easy process.”