Wolfsburg to spend big to land Chelsea’s Belgian midfield star
Published:If two-time Chelsea player of the year Juan Mata is struggling to firmly nestle himself into Jose Mourinho’s plans, then for some of the club’s second-string the feat is almost impossible.
That’s the exact situation that Belgian Kevin De Bruyne finds himself in at Stamford Bridge, with the player being exclusively restricted to Capital One Cup starts and fleeting Champions League sub appearances since the third Premier League game of the season.
As a result the 22-year-old is the subject of some interest during the January transfer window, with Wolfsburg at the head of the queue and keen to bring the midfielder back to Germany, where De Bruyne successfully spent last season on loan at Werder Bremen.
However, if the Volkswagen Arena is going to be the flame-haired youngster’s next home then Wolfsburg are going to have to splash the cash.
Talks have already taken place between the two clubs over a move and Chelsea, who are 11/4 second favourites to win the league, are thought to be holding firm on their £25m valuation on the player, a fee that would ordinarily send most club dignitaries running a mile given De Bruyne’s inexperience.
The Bundesliga side have yet to dash from proceedings though and while they are keen to negotiate the price down, are thought to be happy to spend big to land their man.
A return to the league where he scored 10 times in 33 starts for Bremen will surely appeal to De Bruyne, whose agent openly admits the player wants out of west London and favours a permanent move over a loan deal with Atletico Madrid during a World Cup year.
The former Genk star hasn’t seen a minute of Premier League action since mid-September and with Wolfsburg so keen to pay-up, Mourinho looks set to pull the trigger on De Bruyne’s Chelsea career.
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