Chelsea have not played at the same level in the second half of the season in the Premier League as they did in the first half, which has led to the board gearing up for another productive summer in the transfer window. Among a number of new additions in the off-season, the Blues may also sign a creative midfielder with Enzo Fernandez the only one impressing in their squad so far.
Football Insider has reported that Chelsea are considering a surprise swoop for Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to leave the Etihad Stadium as a free agent at the end of the season. And though he has been linked with swoops to Saudi Arabia and the United States, it is believed that he is prepared to take a reduction in pay to continue in England.
De Bruyne expressed his disappointment at nobody from Man City reaching out to him over a possible contract renewal, while also keeping all options open regarding his future. For Chelsea, he would be a fantastic short-term addition, especially given that he already knows the club well having spent a short stint at Stamford Bridge a decade ago.
Chelsea need some experience
Enzo Maresca is set to remain the Chelsea coach for another season and he could do with some experience on the playing field considering most of the club’s recent investments have been in younger players. In Kevin De Bruyne, he would join forces with a player he has already worked with in the past during his tenure as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.
The Belgian international remains very much the cream of the crop amongst midfielders in the world in spite of his age and has been in brilliant form for City since announcing that he will leave the club. Guardiola has also been full of praise for the former Wolfsburg man, calling him a ‘fantastic’ player in the aftermath of City’s win over Crystal Palace a couple of weeks ago.
If indeed De Bruyne is prepared to accept a reduction in pay, his transfer would work viably for Chelsea as well as they would not need to disrupt their wage structure to accommodate the six-time Premier League winner. It will be interesting to see if the player himself is open to a switch to London, where this time out, his stint promises to be exponentially better than the previous one.
