De Bruyne denies attempts to leave Napoli, acknowledges rough start

Kevin De Bruyne claimed he did not try to leave Napoli during the summer transfer window but admitted that it’s been a ‘rough start’ under Massimiliano Allegri. He stated, ‘Details are the difference between our seven points and the 10 or 11 we might’ve deserved.’ De Bruyne noted, ‘I just enjoyed my holiday and then went straight back to Napoli.’

Napoli are off to their worst Serie A start in 10 years after picking up just seven points from their first five games of the 2026-27 season. Reports from Italy indicated that conditions behind the scenes at the Stadio Maradona have begun to grow rather unpleasant.

Massimiliano Allegri, the manager of SSC Napoli, has been reported to be disappointed in what he has seen from De Bruyne, particularly following the player’s previous fallout with Antonio Conte before leaving at the end of the 2025-26 campaign. De Bruyne missed five months of that season due to injury, which fueled speculations about a potential departure, with many suggesting he had options in MLS.

Despite recent media chatter and rumors concerning his enjoyment of life under Conte the previous season, De Bruyne insisted he had not sought to leave Napoli. In a press conference with the Belgium national team on Tuesday, he addressed whether there was any truth to rumors about a summer move, saying, “No, I haven’t really spoken to anyone about it. I just enjoyed my holidays and went straight back to Naples.”

He further stated, “We’ve had a rough start to the season, we’ve played a lot of strong teams already. We even had the chance to win it in the final minute against Inter, but we still lost. Those details are the difference between our seven points and the 10 or 11 we might’ve deserved. We’re not doing so well in terms of points, but I think we’re doing fine.”

Tension at Napoli was highlighted following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Fiorentina, where Allegri reacted strongly after the game, signaling rising pressures within the squad.