Kevin De Bruyne – From Being A Chelsea Reject To Becoming A Modern-day Great

Manchester City have been in spectacular form throughout the season and are the favourites to win the Premier League title, having received numerous accolades for their performances. Their attack continues to be regarded as the best in the league right now and rightfully so. After all, very few teams can boast of having players like Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling and David Silva. However, one player who has been a stand-out performer this time is Kevin De Bruyne.

Once rejected by defending champions Chelsea, De Bruyne has enjoyed a meteoric rise to where he is today. Upon initially joining the Sky Blues, the player took a lot of time to settle in. He did not hit the ground running but he made a place for himself eventually and is now indispensable to the squad’s success. Not only has he carved a spot for himself in the hearts of the Manchester City faithful, De Bruyne has also impressed all the critics and rival fans with his fantastic displays.

In 19 appearances for City across competitions, De Bruyne has scored 5 goals and provided 10 assists. Stats may not always paint a clear picture but in this case, it surely does. He recently became the fastest midfielder to be involved in 50 goals for Manchester City and it goes to show how far he has come in his career. De Bruyne is impacting the game in ways that is truly commendable and it is safe to say that he is arguably in his best form in a City jersey.

It is not just De Bruyne’s numbers that look so impressive. His displays on the field continue to shock and awe many, especially with the way he applies his masterful touches to maintain fluidity in the game. When it comes to midfielders in modern football, most of them are either good at executing or they are good thinkers. The young Belgian maestro boasts of both these qualities in abundance and he continues to improve under Pep Guardiola’s watchful eye.

Considering his growth and influence right now, it is baffling as to why Chelsea let him leave in the first place. The Blues have not been the best at recognizing and honing young talent over the years and De Bruyne seems to be the perfect example of that. Interestingly, Antonio Conte’s men are quite weak in the midfield area whenever N’golo Kante is absent. Even if the former Leicester City man is a part of the match-day squad, he cannot make as much of an impact to their attack like De Bruyne does for Manchester City. As far as Chelsea’s other options go, Cesc Fabregas is more of a thinker while Tiemoue Bakayoko is better at executing. Things have not turned out the best way for the summer arrival, while Danny Drinkwater is also yet to make an impact.

It might seem like Chelsea have many options in the middle of the park but unfortunately, none of them have lived up to their billing – except perhaps Kante. One can attribute most of their troubles to their midfield woes this time and it is ironic that a player rejected by them is working wonders at a rival club in the same area.

To make matters worse for the Stamford Bridge club, they were subjected to more than a glimpse of his lethal attacking prowess as Manchester City paid them a visit. The champions-elect were brutally dominating the Blues but the match was still goal-less until the last half-an-hour or so. And then De Bruyne unleashed his true form against his former club. The player linked beautifully with teammate Gabriel Jesus on the edge of the box and they were simply too fast for any of the Chelsea defenders. Before they could even react, De Bruyne struck the ball straight into the net and there was nothing Thibaut Courtois could do to stop him.

In fact, it is not just De Bruyne’s individual brilliance that has been excellent. The midfielder has been a blessing for the likes of Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling. Adept at making accurate passes even in the most challenging situations, Sane and Sterling only need to be speedy enough and De Bruyne finds them with his sublime passes. The 26-year-old makes things happen for City at all times and he does it in a way that nobody else in Guardiola’s squad can. It almost seems like he is so much more than their chief playmaker at this point. He can find spaces even when there are none and he makes these passes which often seem impossible.

De Bruyne has already established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season but if he is to achieve a similar status across Europe, he needs to win trophies. Considering the situation right now, Manchester City seem like the strongest title-challenger but we have a long way to go and the league is known for being highly unpredictable. One injury can change everything for a team or a player but if De Bruyne can manage to continue like this, the Sky Blues might just lift the coveted league trophy at the end of the season. If that happens, it will be a major step for the golden-haired midfielder towards securing the status of a superstar across Europe.

From being a Chelsea reject to becoming a modern-day superstar for Manchester City, De Bruyne has certainly come a long way. When he joined the Citizens from Wolfsburg back in 2015, nobody expected him to achieve so much in such a short amount of time. If he continues playing like a well-tuned symphony under Guardiola’s tutelage, there is no limit to what De Bruyne can achieve in the future.