De Bruyne and the negotiations that could have led him to Atlético

Kevin de Bruyne is presented at the Wanda Metropolitano as the great threat of Manchester City. A player who, by level, could cover more covers as one of the best in the world and who He was already decisive in the first leg with the goal that broke the tie taking advantage of a great assist from Foden.

The Belgian showed several of his best qualities in that play, with the unchecking into space, arrival and definition against Oblak. On Sunday against Liverpool he would once again make clear his enormous level, scoring the first goal of the game and leaving several very classy passes, including the last one so that Mahrez had the victory in his boots. At 30 years old, De Bruyne is in full football maturity, a true leader who combines talent, quality, goal, vision, character and hard work, since it does not forgive a race or shy away from the shock.

If your market value is 90 million for the specialized website Transfermarkt, In the winter of 2014, the Belgian was looking for an exit due to his little participation in Chelseaowner of its rights since January 2012. In the first months of competition, De Bruyne only participated in nine games, without being able to see the door and he was a very secondary player for Mourinho, who did not have him. And Atlético dominated LaLiga with an iron fist, but they were looking for winter reinforcements, especially in the offensive zone of the center of the field.

Thus, according to what AS told on November 29, 2013, Atlético met with the Belgian player to present the project and an offer for him to join the club from January 1. Chelsea, with whom he had great relations and had already closed Courtois’ loan for three years in a row, left the decision of his fate in the hands of the player, allowing the meeting and looking favorably on the rojiblanco interest. At 22 years old, De Bruyne needed to play and Atlético put a winning team on the table and the presence of his compatriots Courtois and Alderweireld.

However, De Bruyne He ended up opting for Wolfsburg. At Atlético the competition was enormous, with a high level of players like Koke and Arda Turan that they could close the doors of eleven. And the Belgian prevailed above all else to play. He did not want to reach a team in which he would be relegated to the bench again. De Bruyne had already played in the Bundesliga a year earlier, on loan at Werder Bremen with very good performance and leaving signs of his quality. Wolfsburg ended up paying around 20 million to keep De Bruyne. Meanwhile, Atlético was reinforced in January with the transfers of Sosa and Diego Ribas, back from Wolfsburg itself, which had found its replacement in the Belgian.

The rest is history. Atlético won LaLiga and reached the Champions League finalwith a key goal from Diego at the Camp Nou in the quarterfinals of the highest European competition. It would eliminate Chelsea itself in the semi-finals and the blues they would be done with Diego Costa and Filipe Luis for the next course. And De Bruyne became a true star at Wolfsburg. If his first six months already established him as a regular in midfield, in the 2014-15 season he got 16 goals and 25 assists that led Manchester City to throw the house out the window and pay 80 million for him in January 2016. He is now in his seventh season at the English club, serving as captain and top star. A career that could have been very different with a red-and-white touch in January 2014.