We want to improve - Lukaku issues warning to De Bruyne

Romelu Lukaku has offered a frank assessment of life at Napoli to his long-time Belgium teammate Kevin De Bruyne, warning the midfield maestro about the unique pressures that come with playing for the passionate Serie A champions.

While thrilled to welcome De Bruyne to the club, Lukaku highlighted the intense fan culture that can be both a blessing and a burden.

De Bruyne, has embarked on a new chapter in Italy after a glittering decade at Manchester City, where he amassed an impressive 19 major trophies, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League.

His decision to excuse himself from City's Club World Cup participation signaled the definitive end of his Etihad era, and his move to Naples aims to reignite his Champions League ambitions and reaffirm his status as one of the world's elite playmakers.

Speaking to Belgian outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, Lukaku revealed his instrumental role in convincing De Bruyne to join.

The pair engaged in multiple conversations, including discussions during international duty and a direct call from De Bruyne seeking advice.

He said, "I’m happy he’s joining us. He’s exactly what Napoli needs to take the next step.

"We’ve just become champions, and we don’t just want to defend that title, we want to improve as well. I spoke to him a couple of times while on national team duty, and he also called me once.

“I explained how things work here. I also told him where he could look for a place to live and things like that. Dries [Mertens] and I did our best to convince him, and Kevin made the right choice."

While praising the fervent support from the Napoli faithful, Lukaku also issued a pointed warning about the high expectations.

He added, "A Napoli player receives a lot of love. I’m happy that Kevin will get to experience that.

"Playing football in Italy is incomparable, there’s a kind of passion you don’t see elsewhere. But there’s also a downside. I’ve played at clubs where fans would show up at training when things weren’t going well. It’s not pleasant but it makes you realise you have to give everything, every single day."

Napoli's acquisition of De Bruyne on a free transfer is widely seen as a big statement of intent.