Kevin De Bruyne has 'surprised everyone' at Napoli as Antonio Conte reveals first impressions of ex-Man City star and backs Romelu Lukaku to be 'even better' than last season

De Bruyne has left an incredible first impression on Conte, with the Napoli head coach admitting that the former Manchester City star has "surprised everyone" at the club with his commitment to professionalism. The Italian manager also spoke about Lukaku and wished for the striker to "have an even better season than last year".

Lukaku was a vital cog in Conte's setup as the Partenopei secured the Scudetto on the last day of 2024-25, beating Inter to the title. The former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Inter forward scored 14 goals and registered 10 assists in 36 league outings. His relationship with Conte has always been strong, with Lukaku revealing earlier this month that his goal celebration against Cagliari on the final matchday was a way to avenge himself and his boss after "everyone had written them off".

Now, Conte will have the luxury of pairing Lukaku with De Bruyne with the hope that their chemistry from the Belgian national team will translate on the pitch for the Serie A title holders. De Bruyne might have turned 34 in June, but there's still a feeling that he can stay on top of his game for a couple more seasons. 

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the friendly against Olympiacos, Conte shared his thoughts on De Bruyne. The Italian said: "He's fully immersed himself in this environment, he's perfectly understood the importance of the work, never a word out of place, he was a very welcome addition for the players who were already here. He's had a top career and came here to get back into the game, without missing a second of training. He's always done everything, available, now we're trying to find the right balance with the four or the three [midfielders]. There will be a lot of matches, an exceptional lad, he's surprised everyone."

While speaking about Lukaku, Conte added: "He can do even more, because he's a key player in winning the Scudetto, because we bought him for €30 million and the cost/return ratio was top-notch. Training after so many years of not doing so can bring him a lot of benefits. He's in the midst of his development, he's one of the team's key players, and we need players who can also acquire some leadership. From Romelu to Giovanni Di Lorenzo, [Stanislav] Lobotka, [Frank] Anguissa, and, quietly, [Amir] Rrahmani. I need the old group, I need them to take on even more responsibility, because so many new players are coming in, and we need people who can always lead the way even in difficult situations. For Romelu, may he have an even better season than last year. That's my hope."

De Bruyne has been impressive in pre-season for Napoli, making an immediate impact for his new side. Napoli will be relying on the legendary Belgian from midfield to help them defend their Serie A title. They play their opening game of the 2025-26 season on August 23 against Sassuolo, but before that, they will play their final summer friendly on Thursday, taking on Greek side Olympiacos.