The 33-year-old midfielder recently revealed he wouldn't be extending his stay at City, sparking plenty of speculation about his next move.

Amid growing rumours linking him with a switch to Napoli, De Laurentiis has now gone public with the club's intent to bring the Belgian star to Serie A.

Speaking to TG2, De Laurentiis said: "I really believe that Kevin De Bruyne will join us now."

He added: "They told me that he has already bought a beautiful house in Naples... I spoke to Kevin, his wife, and child this morning, the house was beautiful."

However, he was keen to stress that nothing is done just yet: "Is the deal finalised? Until the contracts are signed, we must be cautious."

Should the move go through, De Bruyne would link up with Romelu Lukaku, his close friend and fellow Belgium international, in what would be a major statement of intent from the newly-crowned Serie A champions.