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Former Chelsea scout Piet de Visser has explained why former Blues manager Jose Mourinho refused to utilize Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne during the Belgian midfielder's stint at Stamford Bridge.
The Dutch scout, who is currently a personal adviser to former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, said he urged Mourinho to give De Bruyne a chance.
De Bruyne joined the Blues from Belgian outfit KRC Genk in January 2012. The now-Manchester City midfielder never managed to break into the Blues' first team under the Portuguese boss. He subsequently spent the 2012-13 season on loan at Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.
Over the course of his stint at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne registered just nine appearances across all competitions.
De Visser claimed that Mourinho rarely called upon De Bruyne's services as the Portuguese boss only relied on experienced players. The Belgian was a young talent at just 21 years old at the time.
The former Blues scout said (via football.london):
"I had a battle at Chelsea. I thought he (De Bruyne) was the best in the world at a young age. Chelsea had a top coach in Mourinho. He only called on experienced players. He thought De Bruyne was too young and said 'we can't use yet'."
During his loan spell at Werder Bremen, De Bruyne gained some of the experience that Mourinho searched for in a player. The Manchester City star registered 33 league appearances for the Bundesliga outfit, scoring ten goals and providing nine assists in the 2012-13 season.
However, De Visser claimed that Mourinho was still unwilling to play him. He added:
"He comes back and Mourinho says, 'He's playing well, but I can't guarantee him a permanent place'. I stood there and I got furious with Mourinho. I said, 'He's your best man. Give him the chances. You don't always have to play him'."
Despite his relentless pleas, De Visser stated that Mourinho would not listen and would simply say:
"I'm the boss"
Chelsea make a breakthrough in Mason Mount contract talks amid Manchester City interest
The Blues are reportedly making progress in their contract negotiations with midfielder Mason Mount. As per the Atheltic, the west London outfit have made a 'positive breakthrough' in talks to extend the England international's contract (via HITC).
Mount's current Chelsea contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024. The Telegraph earlier reported that the English midfielder's contract negotiations had reached a stalemate. This reportedly prompted interest from the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Liverpool.
However, a departure from Stamford Bridge now seems unlikely for the Blues midfielder as the club and the player continue to make progress in contract talks.
This hinders any plans to sign the Englishman that Manchester City may have.
