The Belgian superstar has made a brilliant start to life in Manchester – thus far it is fair to say that he looks as though he is worth every penny of his staggering £54 million price tag.
The transfer of Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester City raised eyebrows after making just three appearances for Chelsea between 2012 and 2014. Newspapers mocked the Belgian as a ‘Chelsea flop’, however he has certainly not flopped at the Etihad since his move to the blue side of Manchester.
After a stunning season in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg, in which he scored ten times with double the amount of assists than goals, he drew the attention of Txiki Begiristain and his team behind the scenes.
After several attempts from Begiristain and co. to negotiate with the German club, Man City finally got their hands on the 2015 Footballer of the Year in Germany on the 30th August, with just a matter of days remaining in the summer transfer window.
With Pellegrini having paid over seven times as much as Chelsea did just over three years before for the Belgian and over three times as much as Wolfsburg had one and a half years ago, the pressure was certainly on the ex-Genk attacking midfielder to perform and perform quickly.
He didn’t disappoint…
Kevin De Bruyne made his debut at Selhurst Park in a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace and since his move has played eleven games for the Blues. In those eleven games the Belgian international has scored six times and also has the same number of assists to his name.
If Chelsea fans aren’t already annoyed enough with their team’s form, they will be wondering why he wasn’t wasn’t given a chance to show the sort of form which he is now showing he is more than capable of, in a darker shade of blue.
De Bruyne has not just shown form for Man City but also for his national side as he helped fire them to Euro 2016, scoring five goals along the way throughout the Qualifying campaign.
Versatility has been a key trait of De Bruyne’s performances as he has shown he is able to adapt to numerous different positions in the City line up, whether that be on the right, on the left or through the centre. Undoubtedly, De Bruyne looks at his best when playing through the centre just behind the striker. This, when Silva is fit, obviously gives City boss, Pellegrini, a headache, but a nice one to have. How many managers would deny the opportunity to have to choose between the two stars that are Silva and De Bruyne?
Kevin De Bruyne, from Drongen in Flanders, has stepped up in recent weeks in the absence of key men Aguero and Silva and played a huge part in City’s recent form which leaves them top of the Premier League and unbeaten in six games. He has not just earned the plaudits for his performances but also earnt points for his team, vital points to say the least. For example, his injury time winner against Sevilla in the Champions League which lifted Pellegrini’s side into the qualification spots in Group D, just a point behind leaders Juventus.
In a matter of months, Kevin de Bruyne has become a vital part of the side which are aiming to win the Premier League for the third time in five years. If he continues with the form he is showing, could Kevin de Bruyne win the ‘Footballer of the Year’ award in two different countries in two years?
Wednesday night was just the latest example of the excellent quality he has shown in a City shirt as he scored the Blues’ second and assisted Man of the Match Kelechi Iheanacho to allow him to score his second senior goal. Kevin De Bruyne will be hoping to continue his excellent form as Manchester City take on Norwich City on Saturday afternoon as they look to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League table.
