Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has been targeted by Premier League side West Ham United ahead of his Etihad exit next month.
The star has been targeted following City’s decision not to extend his contract. It has previously been reported that De Bruyne did not wish to play for another Premier League club; talkSPORT, however, has reported that one Premier League side has tried their luck in swaying the Belgian’s decision.
Kevin De Bruyne has spent the last decade in Manchester, following spells at Chelsea, Wolfsburg, and Werder Bremen. Since signing De Bruyne in 2015, Manchester City have enjoyed 421 appearances and 108 goals from the midfielder, who has undoubtedly sealed his place as one of the club’s greats. De Bruyne announced in April that his time at the Etihad would finally come to an end.
Aston Villa are also Interested in Manchester City Talisman
It has not yet been announced what West Ham offered De Bruyne, but the deal would not be cheap. Other clubs have also targeted the Manchester City player, with Aston Villa seemingly being the other Premier League club contemplating a move for De Bruyne.
Following their heartbreaking failure to reach the Champions League, the Villains will find it tougher to attract players with the legendary reputation of De Bruyne. The Hammers, however, did not achieve European status at all, with the London side finishing 14th in the Premier League.
Kevin De Bruyne‘s statements regarding a hesitance towards moving to another English club, and his Premier League suitors failing to achieve Champions League status, make it seem unlikely that he will move to either of the Premier League sides.
Kevin De Bruyne is Likely to Move to Serie A Champions Napoli after Manchester City.
Attention from elsewhere in Europe has also been reported. Napoli seem to be the frontrunners to sign De Bruyne, with rumours circulating that it has already been confirmed following the club president Aurelio De Laurentiis saying to Italian broadcaster RAI, “Will he get to lift this cup too? Probably yes,”.
Napoli won the Serie A by a single point with a 2-0 victory over Cagliari on the final day of the season. With the Italian title clinched and confirmation that they will be playing in the Champions League next season, it is clear why the Serie A side would be such an attractive proposition for Kevin De Bruyne over West Ham or Aston Villa.