De Bruyne looks ahead to Modric battle and names Milan among Napoli’s title rivals

Kevin De Bruyne believes that AC Milan are among Napoli’s rivals for the Scudetto, and he is looking forward to battling with Luka Modric.

There are certainly many similarities between De Bruyne and Modric. Both left clubs they were at for many years in Manchester City and Real Madrid respectively, and both were big contributors to the most successful eras in the histories of those teams.

In addition, both decided that it was time to try a new experience in Serie A, and the pair both left on free transfers because their contracts were expiring. The Belgian will don the Azzurri, while the Croatian chose the Rossoneri.

‘I know Luka quite well’

In a lengthy interview with Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), De Bruyne spoke about who might be the main contenders for the 2025-26 league title, and also commented on the idea of facing Modric.

Photo by Giuseppe Cottini/AC Milan via Getty Images

Which teams will fight with you for the Scudetto?

“Well, there’s always Inter and Milan. Juve. Atalanta are working well, and Roma and Lazio also have good squads. There are a lot of really, really strong teams.”

Napoli vs. Milan, De Bruyne vs. Modric: a show at the Maradona and at San Siro. What kind of battle will this match be?

“I know Luka quite well because he’s Kovacic’s best friend. We’ve spoken a few times, and he’s a very good guy. I have a lot of respect for him. I’m happy to meet him and play against him. He’s had an incredible career. I hope that when we face each other, it’ll be great matches.”

In case you missed it, we compared some of the metrics that Modric and De Bruyne posted in 2024-25, deducing that the former came out on top in almost every category.