One of the standout matches from the opening round of Uefa Champions League fixtures this week sees Manchester City play host to Napoli – which means an instant return to the Etihad Stadium for club legend Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian playmaker – widely accepted as one the finest players to grace the Premier League – was deemed surplus to requirements by City at the end of last season after an unforgettable spell that saw him win 16 major trophies in 10 years.
It was a reluctant exit for De Bruyne, who had reached the end of his contract but was determined to prove he still had what it takes to continue playing at the highest level.
After a brief flirtation with City's old title rivals Liverpool, De Bruyne agreed to join Serie A champions Napoli on a two-year deal.
“I'm a winner, I want to win games. I’ve always been like this, I hate losing,” said De Bruyne after completing his move to Naples two weeks before his 34th birthday. “The team wants to win, they are ambitious … for me it was a really nice project to come into.”
It will be a very different style of football under new coach Antonio Conte than City manager Pep Guardiola, something De Bruyne acknowledged during pre-season. “I’d say they’re two different ways of playing,” said the Belgian.
“Pep is probably a little more focused on ball control and possession, while Conte is a little more structured in his game and focuses a lot on mentality. Pep works more on the zonal area.”
But, speaking ahead of their Serie A season-opener at Sassuolo, any thoughts that De Bruyne might take time adapting to his new environment were brushed off by Conte. “He's been very humble, attentive and intelligent,” the Italian told SportMediaset. “He's fit perfectly into this environment.”
"It's not a surprise, players at that level adapt so quick," added Guardiola on Wednesday. "They don't need much time to adapt and perform well."
And that appears to have transferred on to the pitch with De Bruyne scoring the second goal in a 2-0 victory over Sassuolo with a whipped free-kick that sailed over a packed penalty box and into the back of the net.
He was on target again at the weekend, finishing coolly from the penalty spot to open the scoring to set Napoli on their way to a 3-1 victory at Fiorentina, Gli Azzurri's third win on the spin.
“The role we're carving out for him is perfect for him,” said Conte after the match at Stadio Artemio Franchi. “He likes to play with the ball, and in this way we give him freedom of movement.
“Kevin is a genius – we are working on a new role for him because he sees things that others don't see.”
Finding a place for that genius has meant another ex-Manchester player Scott McTominay – once of City's bitter rivals United – has seen his role adjusted to accommodate the new arrival.
McTominay was the heartbeat of Napoli's title charge last season following his move from Old Trafford that ended with the Scotland midfielder finishing with 12 Serie A goals, named as the Italian top flight's MVP and nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
Starting on the left of a fluid midfield-attacking line-up against Sassuolo, McTominay would regularly rotate positions with De Bruyne and centre-forward Lorenzo Lucca.
And there were no signs of any issues as McTominay clipped home a trademark header to open the scoring after 17 minutes while also smashing the home crossbar, ahead of De Bruyne grabbing the slightly fortuitous second goal just before the hour mark.
“It's a different way of working, a different way of playing and I saw that today,” admitted De Bruyne afterwards. “I still have to adjust a bit and do better – I need to adapt to them, not them to me.”
McTominay, 28, laughed off any suggestions he has been providing his new teammate with any tips. “He doesn’t need any advice. I need advice from him,” insisted the Scot.
The third and final member of this week's Manchester old boys reunion is striker Rasmus Hojlund, who joined Napoli on transfer deadline day on a season-long loan from United, which will turn into a £38 million permanent move next summer.
The Dane had endured a tough spell at Old Trafford, managing 26 goals in 95 appearances after his £72m move from Atalanta in August 2023.
But he made an instant impact on his return to Serie A on Saturday, finishing confidently to make it 2-0 after De Bruyne's opener and will hope his career trajectory can repeat that of former teammate McTominay.
“Hojlund is only 22-years-old, we got him from Manchester United, seeing as it brought us luck doing that with McTominay,” smiled Conte after the game. “We knew his qualities, he has great potential and can improve. You can see he’s a player with great prospects.”
Napoli swooped for Hojlund after Romelu Lukaku – another former Manchester United striker – picked up a thigh injury that could see him ruled out until the new year.
And Conte will be looking to Hojlund to provide the goals in Lukaku's absence as Napoli, who did not qualify for European football last season, begin their Champions League campaign against 2023 cEuropean Cup winners City.
Guardiola's team, meanwhile, go into the match having swept aside Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday, with Phil Foden having opened the scoring at the Etihad, followed by a brilliant Erling Haaland double.
It was a welcome three points for City coming on the back of two successive defeats and sets them up nicely for the challenge of stopping De Bruyne and the United old boys all with a point to prove.
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