Matt Oldfield
With the signings of Juan Mata, Romelu Lukaku, Oriol Romeu and Thibaut Courtois, Andre Villas-Boas’ young Chelsea revolution began in earnest. Gone are the swansong days of Michael Ballack, Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Juliano Belletti; now a new and exciting generation are bidding to make their mark at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues have been linked with youngsters left, right and centre, from Lille’s Eden Hazard to Everton’s Ross Barkley, as Villas-Boas set down a marker upon his arrival, with potential the watchword. But one man widely expected to join the Blues over the summer, Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, missed the boat to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s Portuguese manager remains interested however, and it is easy to see why.
For now, De Bruyne plays for Racing Genk, the club he spearheaded to the Belgian title last season with five goals and an attention-grabbing 16 assists. This season De Bruyne has three assists in seven games so far, a rare bright spark in a Genk side sitting a disappointing sixth in the Pro League. Last weekend the young Belgian opened his scoring account for the season in style with a hat-trick in a scintillating 5-4 win against Club Brugge, a victory which spelt the end of Adrie Koster’s time in charge of the Blauw-Zwart.
De Bruyne’s first two goals showcased his skill and long-range shooting; the third, an audacious chip, oozed pure class. A dynamic runner with great vision and power, the Belgian is a born playmaker, and a real talent for the future. Villas-Boas recently compared his playing style to that of legend Enzo Scifo, the ultimate compliment for a baby-faced midfielder.
Versatility is another of the 20-year-old’s key strengths; he is equally happy playing through the middle or cutting in from the left wing onto his right foot. De Bruyne is dangerous with both feet, as his two left-footed goals against Club Brugge highlighted, meaning defenders are in a quandary when deciding which area of the pitch to steer him into.
Having grown up in Drongen in the north west of Belgium, De Bruyne chose to join local club Gent in 2003 at the age of 12. Two years later, the youngster moved east to rivals Genk, where he made his first-team debut at the tender age of 17 in a 3-0 defeat at Charleroi. Since then, De Bruyne has established himself as one of Belgian football’s brightest talents, earning his first full international cap in August 2010.
Alongside Hazard, Lukaku and Steven Defour, De Bruyne is a key figure in his country’s most talented generation for decades. With this talented young group, alongside the experience of Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany, Arsenal stopper Thomas Vermaelen and Everton star Marouane Fellaini, Belgium stand a good chance of qualifying for, and starring in, the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
For now, however, De Bruyne is focused on progressing his club career, wherever it may take him. With family born and bred in Ealing, London and specifically Chelsea would be De Bruyne’s ideal destination. However, the youngster’s feet remain firmly planted on the ground. “I always try to get to a better level. If it’s not good enough for Chelsea then maybe for a team a little lower who are maybe better than Genk.”
His introduction to Champions League football has been a learning curve to date. Genk sit bottom of Group E with just two points from four matches. De Bruyne and his team-mates have scored just one goal, and the young playmaker will certainly not have enjoyed his first taste of Chelsea. De Bruyne was part of the Genk side that was thrashed 5-0 by the Blues at Stamford Bridge on the third matchday. The youngster showed moments of class, but was unable to truly distinguish himself, as a rejuvenated Fernando Torres bagged two goals.
A 1-1 draw in the return leg in Belgium was a more positive experience for Genk, and De Bruyne in particular. The baby-faced midfielder caused the Chelsea defence countless problems and stood out as a fish growing too big for his small pond.
It is an incredible time for Belgian football, and Chelsea seem determined to make the most of it. De Bruyne would join national team-mate Lukaku and former Genk colleague Courtois at Stamford Bridge – although the latter, a goalkeeper, is on a season-long loan at Atletico Madrid at present. In fact, the highly-rated starlet was expected to follow his countrymen to London over the summer, but a £5M deal broke down at the last moment. Chelsea look certain to complete his transfer soon, however, either in January or next summer. The fee though, may be considerably larger this time around, and the Blues will face much stiffer competition for his signature.
With De Bruyne itching for bigger things, Genk manager Mario Been is resigned to losing his starlet; “I know that Kevin is a really great player and that Chelsea have already talked about him”, said the Dutchman. “Chelsea look and want to buy all the big talents so, for me, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Kevin went to Chelsea. Everyone’s got his price.” Right now, De Bruyne is rising with every game he plays with the Belgian champions.
