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Kevin De Bruyne's wife, Michele, is keen on a return to Belgium
Kevin De Bruyne will quit Napoli and head back to Belgium, according to his wife, who has confessed they are struggling with life in Italy.
The Manchester City star called time on his spell at the Etihad in 2025, when his contract expired, and the playmaker opted to move to the Serie A side.
De Bruyne joined Napoli off the back of them claiming the Italian title but, only into his second year living in Naples, his wife Michelle has opened up on the difficulties they've endured in their day-to-day life and is already longing for a return to their homeland.
She told Belgian magazine NINA about their desire to head back to Belgium - and didn't shy away from admitting she was counting down the days. “Of course, we think about the future together," she said. “And increasingly often, we say to each other We are going to live here in Limburg. The sooner we get here, the better.”
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Michelle went on to add: “Kevin leads a very restricted life in Napoli. It’s not much fun for him. Besides, we can’t do anything together as a family in the city. That’s the other side of the coin, isn’t it?
“In Manchester, it was different. Where we lived, people had seen us so often that it wasn’t special anymore. We could walk out the door there without a single photo being taken. In Naples, that is impossible.’
“At a certain point, football is no longer the priority. You have achieved everything, done everything. Why would you then turn your children’s lives upside down?”
The Belgian is already being linked with a Napoli exit
When De Bruyne signed his two-year deal at Napoli it made him one of the highest-paid players in Italy. In England he was a star and was the shining light in a City side that enjoyed a level of dominance never before seen in the Premier League.
The Belgian was twice named the PFA Player of the Year but in Italy he's faced a far more challenging environment. There have been reports of dressing room tension with De Bruyne playing under his second manager in as many years.