Kevin De Bruyne is set for a surprise Premier League comeback with a team no one saw coming.
Everton have surprisingly shown interest in signing former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, according to reports from Italy. The six-time Premier League winner moved from Manchester to Napoli in the summer of 2025 but has had a tough time during parts of his stay in Serie A.
Now, Italian media say Everton are considering bringing De Bruyne back to the Premier League, and talks with the player’s representatives have begun. CalcioMercato mentions that Everton are seriously interested and are exploring the possibility, but Napoli would need to agree to let their Belgian star go.
So far, De Bruyne has been involved in 15 goals over 36 games for Napoli, including six this season. In a recent 1-1 draw against Lazio, he missed a big chance to score and was taken off before the match ended. Last season, the 35-year-old had some issues with then-coach Antonio Conte.
Currently, he’s playing under Massimiliano Allegri and has a better relationship with him, though there are still some tensions with teammates. Il Mattino, shared by Goal, says a move away from Napoli in January wouldn’t be shocking because of these dressing room problems, and the future of De Bruyne is still unclear despite Allegri’s efforts to support him.
Everton could offer him a chance to return to England—not to a rival, but to play on Merseyside. CalcioMercato adds that De Bruyne seems to be struggling mentally and could make a surprising Premier League comeback in January. Napoli might want to hold on to him until the season ends, so talks could wait until June.
If he does join Everton, he might miss playing alongside former City teammate Jack Grealish, who is currently on loan there but expected to return to his parent club in January. De Bruyne and Grealish were a strong partnership during Manchester City’s treble-winning 2022/23 season.
For now, De Bruyne sits 43 assists behind the Premier League’s all-time leader, Ryan Giggs—so there’s still more to add to his impressive record.