Signed for a fee for around £6.7 million in January 2012, Kevin De Bruyne had long been a transfer target of the blues. The midfield maestro possesses great technique, a fierce shot and a tremendous passing range that any forward would thrive on. Yet his time at Chelsea saw appearances few and far between as the Belgian international failed to convince José Mourinho of his qualities or work rate.
After a highly impressive loan spell at Werder Bremen during the 2012-2013 season, De Bruyne returned to Chelsea having established himself in one of Europe’s top leagues with a record of ten goals and nine assists in thirty-three appearances. However with the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Andre Schürrle and Juan Mata all competing for the three roles in Chelsea’s attacking midfield, De Bruyne was forced to look on from the bench with just two starts and one substitute appearance.
As a result De Bruyne returned to the Bundesliga in January 2014 with VfL Wolfsburg paying Chelsea nearly triple the amount they had paid K.R.C. Genk just two years ago. Since, the fair-haired midfielder has asserted himself as one of the stars of the Bundesliga and has become a permanent fixture in Marc Wilmots ever-improving Belgium side. One year on, De Bruyne is still perplexed with the lack of opportunities during his spell in West London and has hit back at José Mourinho’s claims that he did not train hard enough:
“I trained well. José Mourinho never explained why I was rarely allowed to play. Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid 45 million euros for me instead of eight million euros to Genk back in 2012. I would have had a different standing, and got more chances. In the end, I have to say that, at that time, Chelsea were not good for me. The club is a different world. I was only 22 years old. But I am not mad at anyone.”
The form of Wolfsburg’s talisman has seen his value rise considerably from the £18 million Chelsea sold him for and the reality is that he may well line up against José Mourinho. Premier League rivals Manchester City and Manchester United have been credited for their interest of late and there is no doubt that both sides could fund a move for the midfielder within the realms of FIFA’s Financial Fair Play.
