10 Players Who Probably Regret Joining Chelsea
10. Kevin de Bruyne
For myself, I know what I can do on the field. Physically, Im always one of the top players in the game and run a lot of kilometres. The second half of the season (at Wolfsburg) I showed everybody Im a good player. But its difficult to prove yourself if nobody can watch you thats all I can say about it. Im not at the club anymore and Im doing fine at the moment.
Boisterous and mouthy the diminutive midfielder may be, but Belgians top-scorer in World Cup qualifying has a point. Sold to Wolfsburg for £17 million in January, and forced to defend pointy attacks from Mourinho regarding his training methods, Kevin De Bruyne can point to the distinct lack of an opportunity he was afforded at Stamford Bridge.
Having followed former club team-mate Thibaut Courtois from Genk to London in 2012, the then-20 year old playmaker put pen to paper on a five and a half year contract with the London giants, for a fee believed to be in the region of £7 million. He neednt have unpacked his suitcase, with a contract clause inserted dictating that he finish the season at his former club.
German giants Werder Bremen were the next side to take him off Chelseas hands, taking him on a season-long loan in August. Scoring 10 goals in 33 appearances, and continuing to sparkle for the national side, he must have thought that he would catch the eye of at least one member of the hierarchy at Chelsea.
Returning in 2013, De Bruyne was determined to fulfil his undoubted promise at the London giants, with the return of Mourinho promising a spine-tingling renaissance of sorts. Following assurances from the Portuguese boss, the Belgian midfielder made his debut for the club in Chelseas opening game of the season, providing an assist.
However, with his frustrations growing clearer each day, the Belgian superstar was at a loss to work out how he couldnt break into the side. He would go on to make only two more appearances for the side, before Wolfsburg shelled out the princely sum of £17 million to entice him back to Germany.