Finding the Right Bundesliga Club for Chelsea Outcast Kevin De Bruyne

Chelsea outcast Kevin De Bruyne should be loaned out in the January transfer window, so why not find a Bundesliga club for him to go to?

Belgium national team manager Marc Wilmots wants Bruyne to be playing regularly, which is not happening at Chelsea. 

"In terms of the World Cup, it would obviously be better for all concerned if Kevin plays regularly from January onwards at the latest," Wilmots said, via ESPN FC. "If Kevin were to ask me, I could say only positive things about Schalke."

Is Schalke a viable option?

Kevin De Bruyne Is in the Jose Mourinho Doghouse

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"I did not like the last match he [Kevin De Bruyne] played against Swindon and I didn't like the way he was training," Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said when asked why De Bruyne was omitted from the squad to face Steaua Bucharest, via ESPN FC.

Mourinho will not give De Bruyne an extended run if he does not change his lackadaisical attitude.

"The next time Kevin is on the pitch, he has to think he's playing for his next appearance," Mourinho said, via Jack de Menezes at The Independent. "In Bremen he didn't need to prove himself so much.

That was September 30.

In the following six Premier League games, De Bruyne was left on the bench twice and failed to make the final Matchday squad on four occasions.

He has played 18 minutes of two sub-affected UEFA Champions League games.

This predicament is putting his FIFA World Cup participation with Belgium at risk.

"Playing at a World Cup without having been in action for a year, I think that's very difficult," Chelsea teammate and compatriot Eden Hazard said, from VRT via The Guardian. "If we [Belgium] want to get the best out of Kevin, I think that it's best if he leaves [Chelsea]."

De Bruyne should be loaned out to a Bundesliga club in the 2014 January transfer window.

But which one?

Narrowing Down Kevin De Bruyne's Bundesliga Options

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Two prerequisites in a Bundesliga suitor need to be met before Chelsea can rubber stamp a loan away from the club for Kevin De Bruyne. 

1. De Bruyne Must Be The No. 10

His former Genk manager Franky Vercauteren has spoken about De Bruyne's preference to be a centre attacking midfielder.

"He wants to play more in the centre but I put him on the sides because he not ready for that role," Vercauteren said in February 2012, via Richard Jolly at The National.

Last season on loan at Werder Bremen, De Bruyne started 27 of 33 league games in a central position.

Therefore Bundesliga teams with a primary formation that does not cater to a centre attacking midfielder will not be considered. 

Club	Formation
Bayer Leverkusen	4-3-3 with wide forwards; no CAM
Borussia Monchengladbach	4-4-2 with two deep-lying forwards; no CAM

2. De Bruyne Must Be An Undisputed Starter

The primary objective of a loan is to play, so De Bruyne needs to go to a team that is willing to start him in 90-95 percent of games going forward.

This means clubs that have established players in De Bruyne's position will be cut. 

Club	Player/s in KDB's Way
Augsburg	Halil Altintop
Bayern Munich	Too many to list
Borussia Dortmund	Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Eintracht Frankfurt	Alexander Meier and Tranquillo Barnetta
Hamburg	Rafael van der Vaart
Hoffenheim	Roberto Firmino
Nuremberg	Hiroshi Kiyotake
Schalke	Kevin-Prince Boateng and Max Meyer
Stuttgart	Alexandru Maxim
Wolfsburg	Diego and Maximilian Arnold

Which Bundesliga Club Should Kevin De Bruyne Be Loaned To?

Bundesliga Clubs Left In Kevin De Bruyne Loan Sweepstakes

Braunschweig
Freiburg
Hannover 96
Hertha Berlin
Mainz
Werder Bremen

Ranking Bundesliga Clubs By Where De Bruyne Should Go To

6. Braunschweig: Averaging 0.6 goals per league game, Braunschweig are the only club that have yet to reach double figures in goals. Headed for a relegation battle is not an ideal scenario for De Bruyne. 

5. Freiburg: When asked by Kicker magazine where the club will finish, manager Christian Streich responded, via dw.de: "[Only] the gods know. And I hope they look kindly upon us." Streich has used a 4-4-2 but has also opted for a 4-2-3-1. In the latter formation, De Bruyne would be an upgrade over Admir Mehmedi, who averages below 1.0 key passes per game (0.8).

4. Hannover 96: Utility player Edgar Prib has not looked comfortable in the No. 10 position, failing to score or create a goal in four starts there. Though, who would De Bruyne pass the ball to? Mame Diouf has only scored twice from 31 shots and Artur Sobiech has two goals from 12 games. It will be slim pickings for De Bruyne.

3. Werder Bremen: He is familiar with the training facilities, the city and his teammates. Werder is a logical loan move but there are two better options. 

This slide has been revised to reflect the following correction: Thomas Schaaf was referred as the Werder manager which is incorrect. Robin Dutt is the current manager. 

2. Mainz: Managed by Thomas Tuchel, one of the most underrated managers in Europe, there are so many weapons for De Bruyne to exploit: Nicolai Muller popping up at the right place at the right time, Shinji Okazaki making smart runs and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting being an impact sub off the bench. 

1. Hertha Berlin: Adrian Ramos is a playmaker's dream because he can take innocuous passes and turn it into goal scoring chances. Ronny is out of favour, and while Per Skjelbred is a hard worker, he does not possess the vision of De Bruyne, who created nine league goals last season. Hertha are an up and coming team, so this is a convenient stopgap for De Bruyne.

Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.
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