Could've done with him against Swansea to be honest.

I know a few of you will disagree with me here (as always ) but here goes anyway.

I think that De Bruyne is on a similar level to where Sturridge was before his loan to Notlob. He's a bit ahead of Kakuta or indeed many of our other youngsters, on par with Josh, maybe even a bit ahead of him but not massively. So I think he could do a job with us right now, but if AVB doesn't think he's ready yet, then a loan next season to give him the opportunity that Sturridge had to improve and barge down the door would by no means be a bad thing. I suspect Josh will get a similar loan as well. The big question though is will he keep improving or is he as good as he'll ever be? Working that out is what our scouting department is paid to do and although most of you seem to think that we have the worst scouting department the world has ever seen because we signed De Bruyne and not someone who would cost 5 or 6 times as much but looks really good in the videos BrazilBlue posts up, but they've not done too badly if you look at how other clubs have done with young prospects. Look at Bebe and the youngsters leaving Man Utd right now for some good examples of other clubs doing about as well as us...

I think that De Bruyne will either end up as our backup to Mata which is something we will definitely need in the future, or will end up taking a place on the wings. It might take a while, but next year I have a feeling we're going to have some good loans. Josh, De Bruyne and Lukaku all out in the Premiership (or Spain for Josh is my preference) showing us what they can do so they too can smash their way into the first team like Sturridge did.

I don't think we'll have much issue getting 4th by the way. Liverpool can't get motivated against sides in the bottom half (in a worse way than us) and Arsenal are just generally worse. It may take something big to happen to put some fire into the players' bellies, whether it's dropping some players, AVB shouting at the press again or the JT situation, something like that will get the players fired up again and we'll start winning a few games on the trot which will see us right. I have no doubt about that. It probably would have been more comfortable with a new signing and we may have challenged for the title, but sometimes you've got to do things the hard way.

This became considerably longer than planned, but f**k it.

TL;DR - KDB will be good. We'll finish 4th.

@ Eggy, agree completely except for the bit about this year... There is in no doubt in my mind we are setting the stage for things to come and I think its being done right. With that said though we do need something to light a candle under the current squads arse and whether that is a sure panic down the stretch or AVB getting out the hair dryer for once, I'd feel a bit more comfortable with a signing like a Honda, Hoillet, Dempsey, or whoever to light a spark under these guy's arses! The current squad lacks motivation and let's face it if you know you're gone this summer, what fire do you really have? We are lacking bigtime in the home stretch and with Ramires (who imo is really the only one offensively showing anything) out, its a bit of a crap-shoot right now... We either going to crash and burn or pick up the pace and get it done! Bit worrisome at the moment and I think we're all just wondering which Chelsea is going to show up nowadays... My take anyway...

I think he'll definately get a chance. Over the years the youngsters we have paid good or a fair bit money wise for tend to least get a fair crack of the whip, with differing success - Johnson, Robben, Kalou, Mikel and Sturridge are those that spring to mind. The one's who don't seem to live up to expectation/aren't given a chance are those that are either brought into the academy at low prices or come through the youth ranks. The positive of FFP should see us take more risks with some of these lads.

Anyway, let's hope we see De Bruyne within the next couple of years making a name for himself with us. I share my birthday with him so he must be good

Edited February 1, 201214 yr by Scooby Blue

I think he'll definately get a chance. Over the years the youngsters we have paid good or a fair bit money wise for tend to least get a fair crack of the whip, with differing success - Johnson, Robben, Kalou, Mikel and Sturridge are those that spring to mind. The one's who don't seem to live up to expectation/aren't given a chance are those that are either brought into the academy at low prices or come through the youth ranks. The positive of FFP should see us take more risks with some of these lads.

Anyway, let's hope we see De Bruyne within the next couple of years making a name for himself with us. I share my birthday with him so he must be good

Oops! Quoting myself by accident, excellent!

Edited February 1, 201214 yr by Scooby Blue

Pleased with this one. Think he has serious potential.

He didn't do very well against us in the CL this year but I think the occasion probably just got to him. I remember he shot from 45 yards and it went for a throwing

Only concern will be his morale after AVB made it quite clear he was not his choice and Im never a fan of clubs choosing players rather than the manager. I wouldn't like to hear that I have just signed for a club to play for a manager who hadn't specifically wanted me. Im not saying he doesn't want him, just that he was not his choice. Like an arranged marriage

I think that was the beginning of the end for Mourinho when the club started undermining him by bying the players they thought he should have (ballack and Sheva)

Either way I hope Im wrong and that he settles in well and goes on to live up to that potential. Welcome to the Blues

Seeing McLean & Chamberlain this season just makes me wonder how we spend ridiculous amounts on youngsters and or loan they/stick them in reserves saying they are not ready.

Might as well sell hime, he'll never play for Chelsea

Well that's a little unfair, let's at least give him a season or 2 of sitting on the bench first, whilst a 40 year old Malouda continue to start.

Edited February 5, 201214 yr by BlueSkies

Well that's a little unfair, let's at least give him a season or 2 of sitting on the bench first, whilst a 40 year old Malouda continue to start.

I think he might play well into his 60s. A typical first team appearance would include Malouda coming on and just standing on the pitch being an arthritis patient and all that and when unable to stand for the full 90 mins, one of the players assisting him by giving him a shoulder.

10 open coffins and malouda with arthiritis.. im looking foward to the future.

Can't we recall him from loan and send Genk Malouda?

hes got to be better than any option we have now apart from Mata who is better when playing centrally

Kevin was on belgium tv last night.

Was a guest in a belgium soccer show.

He got lots of hard question's...They let him saw a newspaper with AVB on and telling he doesn't support the transfer.

He also say that he has no confidence in his own on the moment because (and I know) there are lots of trouble inside the GENK club.(players that fight,disagreed with coach..)

If I find the show on the net the next days I will subtittle it

Please do!

Thanks for the updates, its interesting to follow.

has he been playing recently?

last sunday it was RSCA(champions 2011/2012 for sure) vs Genk.

Rsca destroyed genk,and Kevin had lots of bad passses but he confirmed this.The other guests in the show say that on a normal day his completed passes percentage is outstanding.

Edited February 7, 201214 yr by Belgian_SW6_Lover

http://www.sport360.com/article/fc-twente-line-chelsea-new-boy-kevin-de-bruyne

New Chelsea winger Kevin De Bruyne could be set to link-up with former England boss Steve McClaren at Dutch side FC Twente next season.

De Bruyne, 20, put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half year deal with Blues on transfer deadline day, but was immediately loaned back to Belgian champions Genk for the remainder of the campaign as part of the €9million deal.

A similar scenario is expected next season with Chelsea keen for their new starlet to continue his footballing education with regular first-team football, and De Bruyne admits that could see him headed for the Eredivisie.

There has already been contact between Chelsea and other clubs abroad," De Bruyne told Belgian TV show Extra Time. "Twente have already expressed an interest in me, but I can't say too much about it for now."

Former Genk boss, Frank Vercauteren believes the move could help De Bruyne fulfil his potential similar to another Belgian, Thibaut Courtois, who is currently on a season-long loan to Spanish side Atletico Madrid, having made the move from Genk to Chelsea last summer.

“I have told him already, I would prefer a situation like Courtois, because Courtois is making a step between where he is now and where he can be," said Vercauteren, now in charge of UAE Pro League champions Al Jazira.

Were De Bruyne to make the switch to Twente he would not be the first to take such a path with the Dutch club as former Blues youngsters Slobodan Rajkovi? and Miroslav Stoch also enjoyed loan spells at De Grolsch Veste.

Oh god, not Shteeve, what kind of freaky accent is the poor lad gonna have by the time he gets to England.

Actually it would be pretty much ideal for us and him, he gets first team games at a decent level and gets to pick the brains of a manager who`s spent the majority of his career in England. Win-win surely.

Edited February 8, 201214 yr by dkw

I'd rather see him play in the championship to be honest

I'd rather see him play in the championship to be honest

Agreed. Maybe even a PL side from the start of the season. Having a player from the start of the season or even pre season makes a huge difference when it comes to the player's chances of making the first team. If Josh had been loaned at the start of the season he would have a better chance at being a first team regular than in the current situation.

Someone like Everton, who are always looking for a good loan deal due to lack of cash and have a pretty good manager, could take him at the start of the season and transform him.

I'd rather see him play for us...

He's played champions league football, he's played for his country..it's not like he's a kid with no experience at all who definitely needs a loan spell...

Just a question about all these lads going straight out on long term loans:

What happens (God forbid) if they pick up a career threatning injury while out on loan?.

Does the club have insurance for this sort of thing?.

Is this possibility taken into account before the loan deal is signed?.

I don't really know how football loans work but, on the basis of other leal/commercial agreements I have seen, I would say the loaning club would be obliged to take out insurance to cover him (at their cost) and that if the player did get injured that club would have to pay the payout to the parent club who effectively 'own' him. The parent club would also probably insist on being named on the insurance policy so they could claim directly too.

I would be disappointed to see De Bruyne go back on loan again next season, surely we need some wingers so as to avoid too much reliance on Malouda and Sturridge?

I'd rather see him play for us...

He's played champions league football, he's played for his country..it's not like he's a kid with no experience at all who definitely needs a loan spell...

I would like him to be here too, but it also depends on what we do this summer. Plus the whole "not my signing" type comment from AVB makes me feel that this is less than likely to happen

It's depressing that we have invested a fortune in these players (lukaku, KDB, Lucas etc), yet none will be playing for us next season. You just have to give them a chance, make mistakes and learn from it. We let Sinclair go because he was not good enough, couple of years later he is capable to nail down a starting spot in our team.