Could Jack Grealish be set for a Kevin De Bruyne reunion?

A number of Manchester City fans were disappointed to see the club confirm that legendary midfielder Kevin De Bruyne would be moving on this summer when his existing contract at the Etihad Stadium came to a natural end.

Despite the injury issues the Belgian international had last year, the 33-year-old still has plenty of miles left in his legs and did still play 46 games last season across all competitions, including his international commitments.

However, what is done is done and with the midfielder not joining Pep Guardiola’s travelling group for this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United State, we already know that he has committed his future to Serie A side and reigning Italian champions, Napoli.

De Bruyne will feel that he has just won the jackpot at a Betpanda Casino by securing such a move at this stage of his career, however it does seem that despite now being under the charge of manager Antonio Conte his involvement in potential City decisions may not be over.

A number of media outlets are carrying claims that the Belgium midfielder is actively involved in convincing Conte that former Manchester City team mate Jack Grealish would be an ideal pick to join them at the club this summer.

As we know, City’s £100 million investment has turned into a mixed affair and having had his moments in the sky blue shirt, should he leave as expected this summer he will do so with plenty of medals. However in suiting Pep Guardiola’s system, supporters have not seen the free-flowing attacking talent that he had become notorious for at his former club.

With limited minutes when he should have been the exact type of player to turn to for a few of Manchester City’s matches last season when struggling to break sides down, Grealish was also left out of the Club World Cup squad and whilst Pep Guardiola in many ways continues to wax lyrically about his talents, his time at the club is over.

The Italian league would be a great destination for him to recapture his form, and of course, in moving abroad we would avoid the almost inevitable former player bounce when he returns to face City in future games.

From Jack Grealish’s perspective, teaming up again with Kevin De Bruyne would undoubtedly be a strong pull, but he would have also seen how Antonio Conte got the best out of Scott McTominay in particular since he moved to the club.

Any sale that is agreed for the England international would undoubtedly see City take a huge hit on their initial outlay, and Grealish would absolutely have to take a pretty big shave on his current reported weekly wage of £300,000.

But regular football would boost his international chances with Thomas Tuchel, and with Napoli having just taken the top-flight title in Italy, their own coffers would have been boosted, with Grealish claimed to be holding a £45 million valuation.

Whilst the player does have tenuous Premier League interest from the likes of former club Aston Villa and Everton, it is unlikely that they would sanction such a fee, and as such Napoli works best for City officials, but now supporters will have to see if there is a deal to be done.