Kevin De Bruyne reportedly wants Napoli to sign his former Man City team-mate Jack Grealish this summer.
Grealish, 29, joined City for £100million from Aston Villa in 2021, a fee that made him the most expensive English player ever at the time.
However, the winger, 29, has struggled to replicate the form he showed at Villa and although Grealish did shine in City’s Treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, he has largely underwhelmed at the Etihad.
Grealish found himself further down the pecking order in 2024-25, with the 39-cap England international starting just seven Premier League games – and only one in 2025.
Things came to a head earlier this month when he was left out of City’s 27-man squad for the Club World Cup and he was told to find a new club by boss Pep Guardiola.
And, according to The Sun, City legend De Bruyne, who joined Serie A champions Napoli this month after leaving the Etihad upon the expiry of his contract, wants them to sign Grealish.
Kevin De Bruyne reportedly wants Napoli to sign his ex-team-mate Jack Grealish this summer
De Bruyne completed a move to the Serie A champions this month after leaving Man City
Grealish is hugely out of favour at the Etihad and he has been told to leave by Pep Guardiola
The report claims Napoli boss Conte has been picking the brains of De Bruyne all about the winger in anticipation of a potential move.
And the 33-year-old is hoping that his reference of his former team-mate will see Napoli move for Grealish.
Mail Sport previously reported how City will listen to loan offers if they cannot find a willing bidder for Grealish, who has two years left to run on his £300,000-per-week deal.
Alongside Napoli, Everton are among the clubs chasing the 39-cap England international, who is desperate for regular gametime to force himself into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
The German recently told the winger that he must be playing more to earn a place in his plans, having left him out of his first two squads.
Meanwhile, speaking earlier this week, Guardiola also insisted that Grealish needs game time and that it is ‘best’ for him to leave City.
Guardiola said: ‘He had a conversation with the club and they decided it was best.
‘Jack is an exceptional player. The only reason why he didn’t play last season is of course my decisions.
Napoli boss Antonio Conte is said to have been picking the brains of De Bruyne about Grealish
Grealish started seven league games in 2024-25 and only one since the turn of the year
‘We decide that he has to play. The club was honest, he was honest.
‘We decide that the best thing is to stay (behind) and have a place that he can feel like he can come back to be the player like he was in the year of the Treble or all his career in Aston Villa.
‘Without him it would have been more difficult in the year of the Treble.
‘The fact is in the last two seasons he didn’t play much minutes. He has to come back to play and have the butterflies in his stomach that he can play every three days, every three days and show again the quality he has.’
If Grealish did move to Napoli, he would join a slew of former Premier League stars who are plying their trade in Naples.
Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour, Romelu Lukaku and Philip Billing were all part of their Serie A triumph and that quartet has since been complemented by the marquee addition of De Bruyne.
