Letting Kevin De Bruyne go is seen as one of Chelsea’s biggest-ever transfer failings.
But according to two of their former regulars, no one could have predicted the player the Manchester City skipper turned out to be.
The Belgian joined the Blues in 2012 from Genk for just £7million, but only ever managed nine first team appearances before going on loan to Werder Bremen, and then being sold to Wolfsburg.
Tearing the Bundesliga to pieces with the latter side, City paid £55m for the 33-year-old‘s services in 2015, and the rest is history.
Now one of the greatest creators the Premier League has ever seen, two of his former Chelsea teammates have discussed how he slipped through their fingers.
Appearing on The Obi One Podcast with former teammate John Obi Mikel, John Terry was asked if he could have seen the evolution from De Bruyne and fellow Chelsea flop turned English football great Mohamed Salah.
“Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s my one disappointment as captain, because I adapted over time as captain, I think I softened as the years went on.
“Those early years when those guys were there I was probably very strong, very disciplined on the group and how we did things.
“Actually, that was probably the first time they needed an arm around the shoulder and a sit down and a discussion and maybe helped them settle in.
“So for those players for the level they’ve got to, I’m disappointed in myself as captain and it’s a regret I’ll have.
“I’m delighted they’ve become what they’ve become, but I wouldn’t have said they would have got to the level they got to.”
Mikel was in complete agreement with his former teammate, and didn’t see anywhere near enough from ex-midfield partner De Bruyne.
“Definitely not,” Mikel said in agreement about De Bruyne and Salah.
“But it wasn’t just you JT, when you look back then and look at their levels, I think Kevin De Bruyne wasn’t the best trainer back then.
“He was somebody that comes to training, and probably because he wasn’t playing that much, always head down, always angry and sulking.
“He was like a kid who came to the playground and nobody wanted to play with him.
“I remember when Samuel Eto’o had a go at him and they had a massive fight on the training ground just because he [De Bruyne] wasn’t putting in the effort that Samuel Eto’o wanted so they had a massive row on the pitch.
“But back then we didn’t expect them to be where they are today, credit to them they’ve gone away and they’ve done what they had to do to become who they are, they’re superstars.
“When I watch Kevin De Bruyne today, I’m like, ‘Is this the same guy?!’”
Since linking up at City, De Bruyne has played an integral part in his side lifting six Premier League titles.
That is in addition to scooping the Champions League, as well two FA Cups, five League Cups, two Community Shields and the Club World Cup.
In 412 appearances for the Citizens, he has banged in 106 goals, while laying on a whopping 174 assists.
He is tied with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry in racking up the most Premier League assists in a single season – supplying 20 goals for his teammates in the 2019/20 term.
