Chelsea Transfer News: Kevin De Bruyne Slams Blues and Jose Mourinho

Wolfsburg's Kevin De Bruyne remains perplexed as to why he didn't receive many opportunities to impress at Chelsea, saying "maybe it would have all gone differently" if he arrived at Stamford Bridge for a mega price.

Manager Jose Mourinho sold De Bruyne in January 2014 after providing him with just two starts in the Premier League, per WhoScored.com. He joined the Blues for around £6.7 million in 2012 and enjoyed a successful loan spell with Werder Bremen before struggling to fit into Mourinho's plans.

De Bruyne indicates his stature wasn't great enough to convince the Portuguese boss. He also denied Mourinho's suggestions that he didn't work enough in training, according to Sport Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN FC):

"

I trained well. Jose Mourinho never explained why I was rarely allowed to play. Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid 45 million euros for me instead of eight million euros to Genk back in 2012. I would have had a different standing, and got more chances.

In the end, I have to say that, at that time, Chelsea were not good for me. The club is a different world. I was only 22 years old. But I am not mad at anyone.

"

Christophe Ena/Associated Press

The most curious of De Bruyne's limited chances came during August 2013's goalless draw away at Manchester United, which saw Mourinho deploy him in a false nine role without a striker playing further ahead.

De Bruyne is a creative playmaker, but he needs runners to open space so he can thread passes forward and not become isolated on the edge of the opposition's box. This particular system did little to highlight his capabilities.

Mourinho was quoted as saying De Bruyne "didn't adapt very well to the difficult life a Chelsea player has" before selling him, per Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard. The video below highlights he has endured no similar problems in Germany:

De Bruyne's true qualities have been apparent throughout his season with Wolfsburg. The Belgian has scored 11 and assisted 15 in 29 appearances across the Bundesliga and Europa League this term, per WhoScored.com. This includes two goals and an assist in the 4-1 win over Bayern Munich, the only loss suffered by Pep Guardiola's team this campaign.

Shortly after he departed west London, De Bruyne revealed Mourinho "said no" to letting him join Borussia Dortmund, per Sport Bild (h/t Uersfeld). This was allegedly a retaliation for not being able to sign Robert Lewandowski from BVB, who allowed the Polish striker to link up with Bayern on a free transfer.

Even so, De Bruyne has admirably carved out a path to stardom. He needs freedom and the space to express himself—something he wasn't afforded at Chelsea—and perhaps was never a smart fit for the workaholic style of Mourinho.

Jon Super/Associated Press

The player's return to form has seen him linked with United and Manchester City in recent times, per Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star. Mourinho rarely gets his transfers wrong, but one has to wonder if De Bruyne was allowed to leave too prematurely, and whether or not this will come back to haunt the Chelsea boss.