New Delhi, June 12 (IANS) Kevin De Bruyne, one of the most iconic midfielders of his generation, has completed a stunning move to Italian champions Napoli, ending his legendary decade-long association with Manchester City. The Belgian maestro arrives in Italy on a free transfer, turning down a lucrative offer from MLS side Chicago Fire in favour of continuing his Champions League journey at the top level.

In true Neapolitan flair, Napoli unveiled their marquee signing with a bold computer-generated image of De Bruyne sitting on a throne, clad in royal blue and wearing a crown — aptly captioned, “King Kev is here.”

The 33-year-old will now be marshalled by Antonio Conte, the fiery tactician and former Chelsea and Spurs boss, recently appointed head coach of Napoli. The duo will aim to build on Napoli’s dramatic Serie A triumph last season, where they edged out fierce rivals in one of the tightest finishes in recent memory.

De Bruyne’s departure from City marks the end of an era. Joining from Wolfsburg in 2015, the Belgian magician was at the heart of Manchester City’s most successful decade, winning 19 major trophies.

Perhaps most memorably, he was the creative lynchpin in City’s historic Treble-winning season in 2022-23, a feat matched only once before in English football by Manchester United in 1999.

Following his final home appearance against Bournemouth, the Etihad erupted in a heartfelt farewell ceremony. “It’s been unbelievable to have the 10 years that I had with everything that happened here,” De Bruyne said. “It’s been an unbelievable ride and an absolute pleasure.”

“It was a joy working really hard to help create something that brought the club the success we enjoyed. I’m super proud to have played a part in that. Manchester has been my home and my family’s home for these past 10 years.”

–IANS

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