Kevin De Bruyne blames modest transfer fee for failed Chelsea career

Kevin De Bruyne's stock has skyrocketed since his move away from Chelsea to join Wolfsburg, making the the minuscule transfer fee the Premier League team paid in 2012 look like an absolute steal in hindsight.

The Belgian midfielder, however, barely got a chance to prove his worth at Stamford Bridge, a decision he blames on the €8 million transfer fee Chelsea paid Genk.

"Maybe it would have all gone differently if Chelsea had paid 45 million euros for me instead of eight million euros," De Bruyne explained to German publication Sport Bild.

"A higher transfer fee would have potentially handed me a different sort of status inside the club. And possibly, handed me more chances (to play more regularly)."

De Bruyne only made a handful of appearances for the Premier League club and was loaned out multiple times, as manager Jose Mourinho was reportedly disappointed with the midfielder's work ethic in training and refused to find a spot for him in the team sheet.

Mourinho's reasons for limiting De Bruyne's opportunities were never explained to the 23-year-old, leaving him with a negative outlook on his brief time in London.

"Chelsea FC has not been the best choice at that point in time," he said.

"Being with Chelsea is like being in a different world. Manager Jose Mourinho did not explain to me why I was not playing more regularly for the club."

He's flourished since making the move to Wolfsburg during the 2014 January transfer window, appearing in every league and Europa match and registering a blistering 11 goals and 15 assists in both competitions.

- With translation from Sky Sports