Credit: Napoli X

Chris Smith

Wed 16 July 2025 14:32, UK

Kevin De Bruyne is still gearing up for his first season as a Napoli player but he’s already causing a fuss.

The Belgian star brought the curtain down on his stunning spell with Manchester City this summer, leaving the Etihad Stadium at the end of his contract.

De Bruyne will go down as a firm candidate for City’s greatest-ever player after winning 19 trophies during his 10-year stint.

But at 34 years old, it was time for De Bruyne to find a new challenge, while Pep Guardiola has been making strides to freshen up his squad this summer.

Kevin De Bruyne appears to take Diego Maradona jersey

Napoli and De Bruyne are back in training, preparing for a title defence after winning Serie A for the second time in three seasons.

And already, this partnership has caught the eye, with supporters noticing images on the club’s Instagram of De Bruyne wearing the number 10 on his training kit.

Napoli, of course, retired the No.10 jersey way back in 2000 in honour of Diego Maradona, who played 259 times for the club between 1984 and 1991.

The Argentine legend is one of the greatest players ever to kick a football and undoubtedly the leading light in Napoli history, with his 115 goals guiding the Partenopei to five trophies — including two Serie A titles and a UEFA Cup.

It’s unconfirmed whether or not De Bruyne will actually be given the No.10 shirt, or if this is a publicity stunt or even just an honest mistake.

However, it’s hard to think of a better candidate to take over Maradona’s old jersey than De Bruyne.

James McAtee the next to leave in Man City summer shake-up

The departures of club legends De Bruyne and Kyle Walker will be hard to take for Man City supporters, no matter how necessary it was for Guardiola to inject new life into the squad.

But the Cityzens don’t appear to be done there, with homegrown talent James McAtee seemingly the next player in line for an exit.

And it appears that Everton have emerged as a possible next destination, with the club’s former chief Keith Wyness informing Football Insider of a recent sighting of the player.

“I had a very good source of mine tell me that James McAtee was seen at a hotel in Liverpool recently. It’s one of those classic stories that you read about all the time, was last seen in a baker’s shop near the stadium,” he said.

“It did come from a reliable source. So there may well have been negotiations going on there, and I hope there have been.

“There’s been a lot of talk about different players. I think we’re going to see about eight different players coming in, plus things like a backup goalkeeper, and all those sorts of positions. It’s going to be a very busy summer at Hill Dickinson Stadium.”