Did Manchester City let Kevin De Bruyne leave too soon?

‘Legendary’, ‘pure class’ and ‘on another level’ are just some of the terms used to describe Kevin de Bruyne this week.

The Belgian is having one of his best starts to the season since joining Napoli on a free transfer this summer, which begs the question: did he leave Manchester City a year early?

The exodus of City’s senior players over the past year has been documented, with the likes of Ederson, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker leaving for pastures new.

De Bruyne was also deemed surplus to requirements – despite 16 caps and more than 400 appearances – and the midfielder, unwilling to leave, joined Napoli when his contract expired in June.

“I’m a bit surprised but I have to accept it,” De Bruyne said in April. “To be honest, I think I can still perform at this level as I have shown, but I understand the clubs have to decide.”

It turns out that the 34-year-old was right in his assessment.