Chelsea Transfer News: Keeping Kevin De Bruyne Will Pay Dividends for Blues

Chelsea had a choice with promising 21-year-old Kevin De Bruyne this summer: keep him, sell him or loan him out again.

The Blues made the right move keeping the talented young midfielder.

On loan last season with Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, De Bruyne notched 10 goals and nine assists in 33 starts. It was a snapshot of the player he could become.

De Bruyne's agent, Patrick De Koster, said, via Matt McGeehan the Independent:

"

Kevin wants to play. Playing football, he became a better football player. I think he proved it staying six months more in Genk and last season in Bremen.

He did very well. Now it's up to him to prove the same thing at Chelsea.

"

What's important is that Chelsea didn't guarantee a starting spot to De Bruyne, according to De Koster. De Bruyne will have to earn it. And the 21-year-old has said he's happy with that—he doesn't expect anything to be handed to him. 

In De Bruyne, you have a talented, young player who—more importantly—is motivated. You get enough talented, young players who are itching to get on the pitch, and you may have something special.

Sure, putting De Bruyne out on loan and waiting for him develop more may have been a decent move. But the fact of the matter is, De Bruyne has the talent to help Chelsea next season. He showed last season that he's more than up for the challenge.

Chelsea boasts another talented Belgian in Eden Hazard, who earned his spot as a regular with the Blues last season as he went on to post nine goals and 11 assists in 34 games (31 starts). Hazard could be a mentor to De Bruyne, helping in his transition.

Perhaps that's part of what made De Bruyne decide to stick with Chelsea: the environment. He's in a good position, with the trust of Jose Mourinho, to do big things for the Blues in the coming years. And don't think he doesn't know this. 

Chelsea is coming off a respectable third-place finish in the Premier League. But De Bruyne, if he works out, could help the club accomplish even greater things.

Make no mistake about it: Mourinho and Co. know what they're doing. It wouldn't be a surprise if this move pays off in the long run, and in the short term.