At the end of this season, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne decided to part ways with Manchester City. The legendary Etihad Stadium has only played 14 matches due to a long injury, which prevented him from contributing much to the team. In that situation, De Bruyne chose to leave to seek more playing opportunities, while affirming his desire to continue to stick with English football.
This information opens up opportunities for many teams in the Premier League. Aston Villa are said to have had preliminary discussions about the possibility of recruiting De Bruyne. In addition, there are also reports that Chelsea could participate in a deal to recruit their former player.
According to The Telegraph, Chelsea considered bringing Virgil van Dijk back as a free agent before the centre-back extended his contract with Liverpool. However, the London side do not seem to have a similar plan for De Bruyne.
However, former midfielder Joe Cole urged Chelsea to take action. He affirmed: If he is afraid of change and wants to stay in England, there may be another club in the Premier League for him.
If Sir Alex Ferguson had still worked, he would have knocked on De Bruyne's door right after he had just left the training ground. Who would be bold enough to do that? I'm honest, De Bruyne is perfect for Chelsea."
In the past, Kevin De Bruyne played for Chelsea. However, he was not appreciated by coach Mourinho at that time, leading to him having to leave after only 9 matches. In general, Kevin's relationship with his former team is quite cold.
Cole believes that Man City's midfielder is still very valuable, both in terms of expertise and experience. He continued: I know he used to play for Chelsea. But if you let a player go, that means you think he's not a good fit. Now a free player, he can go anywhere. I want to say to the board: we need experienced players.
De Bruyne may have been injured, but what he brought to the dressing room corage, leadership qualities was invaluable. We just need him to play 30 games a season, that's fine. Let him go through the door and make a difference for the young players."
