The 34-year-old Belgian spoke to Het Nieuwsblad ahead of the World Cup, revealing the depth of his frustration under Antonio Conte and making clear that the Conte departure alone does not guarantee his future in Naples.
"There were promises made last summer about the way we would play, but in the end not much of it happened. Football needs to be enjoyable, and unfortunately I found that aspect lacking," he said. "I still have one year left on my contract, but I want to have a conversation with the club."
The comments have immediately renewed interest from Saudi Arabia, which had already been circling De Bruyne during his lengthy injury absence. Several Saudi Pro League clubs are understood to be ready to move once he becomes available this summer.
De Bruyne joined Napoli on a free transfer in the summer of 2025 after Manchester City declined to offer him a new deal at the end of a decade in which he won six Premier League titles, a Champions League, and established himself as one of the finest midfielders the competition has seen.
He had turned down interest from MLS — most prominently Chicago Fire, who held discovery rights to him, and San Diego FC, the expansion club that had pursued him aggressively — choosing instead to prove himself at the highest level in Serie A.
The move began promisingly. He scored four goals in his first 11 appearances before suffering a serious biceps femoris tear in October that required surgery and kept him out until March. He returned for the run-in and ended the season with five goals and four assists across 21 competitive appearances, creating 40 chances — second only to Matteo Politano among his Napoli teammates.
But his relationship with Conte was consistently strained. The Italian coach's rigid defensive structure — frequently a 4-5-1 that looked to win by a single goal — left little room for De Bruyne to operate in the free-roaming creative role he has occupied throughout his career.
"Conte has a very different vision of football to mine. I never had the opportunity to play in my preferred position," he said. "We played very defensively. There's no point beating around the bush."
Conte left Napoli by mutual consent last month, one year after guiding the club to the Scudetto. Massimiliano Allegri has been appointed as his replacement on a two-year contract. Whether Allegri's approach offers De Bruyne the stylistic freedom he craved will be the central question of that conversation with the club.
MLS has not gone away. Chicago Fire retain discovery rights that would give them priority over other American clubs in any negotiations. Inter Miami previously held interest but face salary cap constraints given their designated player slots. The Saudi option remains the most financially significant, with clubs in the region prepared to offer packages that would dwarf his Napoli earnings.
At 34 and turning 35 in June, De Bruyne is running out of runway at the elite level. A decision on his future is expected once Belgium's World Cup campaign concludes.