Everton have reportedly made a shock approach for Kevin De Bruyne, with reports in Italy claiming the Toffees have initiated initial contact with the Napoli midfielder's entourage over a sensational January return to the Premier League.
The six-time Premier League winner swapped Manchester for Naples in the summer of 2025, joining Napoli on a free transfer after a decade at Manchester City. But the move has never quite caught fire, and SportBible reports that Everton have now entered the picture, citing Italian outlet CalcioMercato, to offer the 35-year-old Belgian a way back to England.
Nothing is agreed, and nobody at Goodison Park has confirmed the approach. But the reports are detailed enough — and consistent enough across outlets — to be taken seriously as an opening move rather than pure gossip.
Contact made, but Napoli hold the cards
According to CalcioMercato, Everton have displayed strong interest in De Bruyne and have "already initiated initial contact with the player's entourage" to assess the deal's "real chance". Sport Witness, relaying the same Italian reporting, adds the key obstacle: De Bruyne's contract runs until 2027, with an option for another year, so Everton must convince Napoli to let him go.
CalcioMercato itself concedes Napoli "may decide not to release De Bruyne during the season, postponing any discussions in June". In other words, even if the player is open to a return — and the reports suggest he is — January is Napoli's call, not his and not Everton's.
There is a further complication on Merseyside. Jack Grealish, De Bruyne's former City team-mate, is on loan at Everton — but SportBible reports that loan is expected to be cut short in January, just as any De Bruyne move could materialise. David Moyes has also publicly played down January business in recent weeks, which makes the reported contact all the more striking: either the stance has shifted, or this is a name big enough to break it for.
A Naples move that never quite caught fire
The numbers explain why a parting is even being discussed. De Bruyne scored 108 goals and contributed 177 assists in 422 matches for Manchester City, winning the Champions League in the 2022/23 treble season. In Naples, by Sport Witness's count, he managed five goals and four assists in 21 matches last season while struggling with a hamstring injury, and has four goals and two assists in 15 matches this term — 15 goal contributions in 36 Napoli appearances in total, per SportBible.
Former Napoli striker Roberto Carlos Sosa said on October 8 that the "spark never really ignited" between De Bruyne and the club, and Il Mattino, relayed by Goal, reports dressing-room tensions between the Belgian and some of his team-mates, describing his future as "uncertain" despite manager Massimiliano Allegri's efforts to make him feel at home. At the weekend, Napoli drew 1-1 with Lazio, with De Bruyne squandering a clear one-on-one chance to win the game before being withdrawn.
So what it means
For Everton, even a fading De Bruyne changes the conversation. He is 43 Premier League assists behind Ryan Giggs's all-time record, and his set-piece and final-ball quality remains elite even if the legs no longer cover the ground they once did. For Napoli, January becomes a decision about money and mood: keep an unhappy superstar for a title push, or cash in while a Premier League club is still willing to pay.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This sounds like fantasy, and it may yet prove to be — Napoli hold the contract and Moyes has talked January down. But big transfers often start exactly like this: a restless star, a club testing the water, and a seller quietly deciding its price. If De Bruyne really is unsettled in Naples, Everton asking the question early is smart business, not madness. Would you take a 35-year-old De Bruyne at Everton in January?
