The Belgian, who was once the world’s best midfielder, is planning to leave the Italian club six months before his contract expires, and a surprising team has set their sights on him.
Kevin De Bruyne, the 35-year-old Belgian midfielder, has become PSV Eindhoven’s big target for the upcoming winter transfer window. According to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, the Eredivisie club have already made contact to try and sign him out of Napoli in January – taking advantage of his contract expiring in June 2027.
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The Belgium international has lost continuity in the starting eleven of the Italian team, and his situation has attracted the interest of several clubs. PSV believe they can exploit this scenario to bring in a player who joined Italy on a free transfer in the summer of 2025, after ten seasons at Manchester City.
PSV chase De Bruyne in January
The operation has started to take shape in the last few hours. As confirmed by Dutch media such as Voetbal International and Eindhovens Dagblad, PSV Eindhoven are already in talks with Kevin De Bruyne’s people to explore the possibilities of signing him in the winter season. Napoli are open to offers for De Bruyne.
The midfielder is said not to have rejected the proposal, and the initial talks are reportedly developing favorably. However, there is still no financial agreement in place, and the Dutch club will have to negotiate the terms of his departure with Napoli.
One of PSV’s main arguments is the length of the contract. De Bruyne’s contract expires in June 2027, although the Italian team has an option to extend it for one season. His current market value at Transfermarkt is around €8 million.
The sporting situation also affects interest. The Belgian has played 11 Serie A games, with 4 goals and one assist in 624 minutes. Although he has been involved in all league games, he has only started 6 – a situation that could speak in favour of a departure.
Coach Peter Bosz has already publicly expressed his admiration for De Bruyne. A signing would enable PSV to add a midfielder with the ability to organise the game and create chances – two roles he had in England.
Napoli and the salary are the obstacles
Napoli have not yet decided on the terms of a possible operation. Although the short time until the end of the contract may ease negotiations, the Italian club retains its rights and is not obliged to accept an offer in January.
The other crucial factor is the salary. PSV will have to go to great lengths to match his remuneration, so talks will need to clarify both the player’s demands and the size of any transfer fee.
In addition, the Eredivisie side are not the only ones interested. Everton have also been linked with the Belgium international, which could create competition if he eventually decides to leave Italy in the next transfer window.
Precedent in Eindhoven
In Eindhoven, there is a precedent with experienced players such as Mario Götze and Ivan Perisic – signings that allowed the club to bring in players with international experience. Now the sports management led by Earnest Stewart is studying a similar operation.
The next few weeks will be crucial to see if contacts move towards a formal offer. Kevin De Bruyne will need to assess PSV’s sporting and financial terms, while the Dutch club will need to agree with Napoli before the January 2027 transfer window opens.
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