Napoli are the favourites to land Kevin De Bruyne on a free transfer this summer.De Bruyne confirmed last month that he will leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Despite the assumption that the Belgian will take the riches on offer in the MLS or Saudi Arabia, The i Paper has been told De Bruyne is keen to remain in Europe.
Aston Villa are understood to be among a host of clubs monitoring his situation but Napoli appear to be the 33-year-old’s most likely destination.
The lure of remaining in the Champions League, plus the opportunity to play in Serie A for the first time, with the prospect of linking up with international team-mate Romelu Lukaku, only add to the appeal.
De Bruyne is not happy with how City have handled his exit after 10 trophy-laden years in Manchester.
His injury issues over the last few seasons saw him become dispensable to the champions, but recent performances have proved to his growing army of suitors he can still perform at the highest level.
While Napoli head coach Antonio Conte is keen to add experience to an area of the pitch spearheaded by former Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay, he is also targeting some youthful exuberance to bolster his strikeforce.
Napoli have long been admirers of Alejandro Garnacho’s talents, having made a move for the young Argentine in January, only for United to demand more than the £40m tabled.United’s valuation of Garnacho has in fact increased since, making it difficult to get any deal over the line at this stage.
It is understood that United are looking for upwards of £65m for the 20-year-old.Apart from captain Bruno Fernandes and a handful of others, most players are up for sale for the right price, as the club look to raise funds for Ruben Amorim’s much-needed squad rebuild.
Should United fail to win the Europa League they will need to clear the decks, making it more likely Garnacho could be sold, should that valuation drop.After an early fallout with Amorim, Garnacho has won his place back in the side and become a key figure in the team’s push for European success.
The goals have not exactly flowed, but his output in attack has improved, with four contributions in his last six appearances.
Marcus Rashford and Antony, who have both impressed since joining Aston Villa and Real Betis on loan respectively, are the two players United hope will generate the kind of income that means they won’t have to sell Garnacho and another academy graduate, Kobbie Mainoo, in the summer.
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