Napoli Considered Neymar Move Before Turning to De Bruyne

Key Takeaways:

• Earlier this year, Neymar departed Al-Hilal and joined Santos in Brazil, despite Napoli’s internal discussions about securing his signature
• Antonio Conte, Giovanni Manna, and Aurelio De Laurentiis reportedly explored signing Neymar between January and May
• Napoli shifted focus to Kevin De Bruyne, ending their interest in Neymar as the Belgian entered their transfer plans

Napoli’s Ambitious Transfer Considerations

Neymar returned to Santos in Brazil after leaving Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia at the start of the year. However, new information reported by Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that the forward was discussed as a potential signing by Napoli’s leadership, including manager Antonio Conte, sporting director Giovanni Manna, and president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The Italian publication states, “The crazy idea appeared around January, lingered in the Neapolitan universe until May, and disappeared because life changed then, on the eve of the championship celebration.”

NEYMAR-NAPOLI: È STATA PIÙ DI UNA PAZZA IDEA 🇧🇷

Gazzetta svela questo retroscena di mercato. De Laurentiis, Manna e Conte ci hanno pensato dallo scorso gennaio fino al mese di maggio 💣

Il 33enne è poi rimasto al Santos, club che lo ha lanciato. Per un po' di tempo però è stato… pic.twitter.com/hLYKFBNTYt

— Spazio Napoli (@Spazio_Napoli) October 8, 2025

Timeline of Discussions

The pursuit of Neymar reportedly began in January and was actively being considered until May. During this period, Kevin De Bruyne had not yet entered Napoli’s plans. According to “Gazzetta dello Sport,” “And when it was time to make a decision and therefore to act, considering De Bruyne, it became natural to get lost in a few hours of reflection and to resign oneself.”

Shift in Priorities Ends Neymar Chase

Despite the club’s efforts to explore a route to sign the Brazilian international, the pursuit ultimately faded. Once Napoli started to consider the acquisition of Belgian star Kevin De Bruyne, the opportunity to add Neymar dissolved.