De Bruyne set to leave Blues

10 January 2014 15:02

Kevin De Bruyne is close to an exit from Chelsea after Jose Mourinho confirmed the Londoners are close to agreeing a fee with two unnamed clubs for the Belgium forward.

De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Genk in January 2012 and spent the first 18 months of his Blues career on loan, initially at Genk and then on a season-long deal at Werder Bremen.

Since being given an opportunity at Stamford Bridge, he has struggled to earn a first-team place and, with a World Cup looming, is looking to move.

The 22-year-old impressed in the Bundesliga and reports suggest personal terms have been agreed with Wolfsburg.

"He has a chance to go," Chelsea boss Mourinho said.

"We had two bids from two different clubs for Kevin. That's what the club is analysing.

"(A fee is) not agreed, but I believe that between our club and the other club we will reach an agreement. The interest is big from the club, even bigger from the player.

"He is a player that Chelsea Football Club had a couple of proposals (for). We keep analysing these proposals.

"One of them is coming into a level where we believe can be a good situation for the player and also for the club."

Mourinho has stated his wish to keep De Bruyne, but the player's desire is so strong that he will be allowed to leave.

Mourinho said: "We know he's a fantastic young player with lots of potential. I still say I would be happy to keep him and develop him.

"We also have to analyse the player's profile, the player's personality and probably he wants so much to go that maybe it's a good option to let him go in a very good deal for the club, by a financial point of view.

"The club bought him a couple of years ago for a small fee and now we have a possibility to sell him for a positive amount."

Mourinho does not plan to reinvest the funds, should a move for De Bruyne be completed.

"We don't need a direct replacement," Mourinho said.

"The reason why we are open the door to negotiate is because it's a position where we have options.

"We have options, so it's not the case of a options where you sell somebody."

Source: PA