NAPLES - “Don't ask me anything, according to the newspapers I've already bought seventy players.” Thus, with his usual cutting irony and a sly smile, Aurelio De Laurentiis opens the press conference to present the summer retreats in Dimaro Folgarida and Castel di Sangro. But then, in the midst of the usual dialectical storm, he plays the ace: Kevin De Bruyne will be a Napoli player.

“The operation De Bruyne was born three months ago. Kevin is a champion, a perfect piece for a team that will need to be strengthened because we have four competitions ahead of us. It is mathematical that there will be several additions, but stay calm”, announces De Laurentiis, transforming what for weeks seemed like fantasy football into concrete reality.

It's not just a purchase, it's a manifesto. Napoli is preparing for a sensational leap in level, relaunching its ambition on a European scale. And ADL, with the skill of the seasoned producer, builds the perfect scene to introduce the protagonist: silence for months, then the dry announcement, in front of the media, with surgical timing.