De Bruyne is seriously injured, Napoli paid nearly 5 million euros in salary for half a year

Naples Club will pay a huge "idle" salary to Kevin De Bruyne - the Belgian midfielder is expected to be absent for up to five months due to a serious injury, and the team still needs to pay his high annual salary in full during this period.

According to the club's official confirmation, De Bruyne suffered a serious injury after taking a penalty kick in Naples' Serie A match against Inter Milan last weekend. Post-match examination results showed that he suffered a severe tear in the thigh muscle on the back of his right leg. He is expected to be sidelined for about five months and will not be able to return to the game until March 2026 at the earliest.

According to data from the authoritative salary website Capology, De Bruyne is currently the highest-paid player in the Naples team, with a weekly salary of 214,000 euros (approximately 11.1 million euros per year). This means that during the five months he was recovering from injury, the club will pay a salary of approximately 4.6 million euros, but will not be able to let him play a game.

What is even more lamentable is that this is the third consecutive time that De Bruyne has suffered a serious injury against Inter Milan. He had also been injured twice in games against Inter Milan while playing for Manchester City. The Belgian playmaker has been plagued by muscle and groin injuries in recent years. In the 2023/24 season, he missed as many as 30 games for Manchester City and the Belgian national team due to injury, which also included a five-month recovery period from hamstring surgery.

De Bruyne joined Naples as a free agent this summer and quickly became the core of the midfield under coach Antonio Conte. He played 11 times in Serie A this season and scored 5 goals. His outstanding performance helped the team top the league standings with 21 points (after 9 rounds).

Now, his long-term absence is undoubtedly a major blow to Naples' championship campaign. The team will not only lose the core of the offensive organization, but also bear huge salary costs, which can be said to be "lost in both men and money."