Jobe Bellingham, John Stones react to message from ex-Man City star Kevin De Bruyne
Jobe Bellingham and Man City defender John Stones reacted to a message from Kevin De Bruyne on social media.
The Sky Blues legend departed Manchester this summer after a decade with the club.
Whilst his final two seasons under Pep Guardiola were marred by injuries, there is a fair argument to be made that De Bruyne is City’s greatest ever player.
After making 422 appearances and scoring 108 goals for the dethroned Premier League title holders, it was somewhat surprising to see the Citizens let their captain leave the club following the expiration of his contract.
With the opportunity to sign a player with such an impressive resume, De Bruyne made the move to Napoli on a free transfer, joining up with Belgian teammate Romelu Lukaku to play for the Serie A title holders.
And having appeared for Belgium twice over the summer, the 34-year-old shared an update on social media.
Kevin De Bruyne makes Napoli debut
De Bruyne made his Napoli debut on 22 July in a 2-0 defeat to Serie C side Arezzo.
The Belgian midfielder was substituted at half-time, and although the result did not go his side’s way, the former City man shared a message on Instagram that read: “Very happy to make my debut today. Some good minutes for the legs. Let’s keep on working”.
The post was liked by former Sky Blue teammate Stones and Borussia Dortmund new boy Bellingham.
Man City set to adapt midfield after De Bruyne exit
Football Insider Verdict
Guardiola is facing the seemingly insurmountable task of replacing De Bruyne this summer.
Without the Belgian’s moments of magic for much of last season, City quickly slipped out of the running for pretty much every competition, finishing the season without silverware.
So how does Pep replace the irreplaceable? The answer is, he probably doesn’t. Instead, an adaptation of his midfield in particular is a more likely outcome.
It has come as no surprise to see the Sky Blues invest in players this summer who are more self-reliant when it comes to chance creation.
Rayan Cherki joined Man City from Lyon, and the young Frenchman has made a name for himself by carrying the ball from deep into dangerous areas.
The same can be said of Tijjani Reijnders, who was recruited from AC Milan. The Dutchman is an all-rounder capable of driving forward and finishing chances other midfielders would struggle with.