De Bruyne's Transfer Saga

In this round's headline match, Moyes' Manchester United defeated second-place Arsenal 1-0 at home, allowing Manchester City to extend their lead. After 11 rounds, City's record stands at 10 wins and 1 draw, amassing 31 points at the top of the table. Arsenal, with 8 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, has 25 points in second place. With Arsenal's unexpected loss, the gap between the two teams has widened to six points. Considering both teams' current form and schedules, City is highly likely to secure the winter champion title early.

In the history of the Premier League, the winter champion has gone on to win the title more than 60% of the time, even with Arsenal's history of lowering that percentage. So, being the winter champion is quite valuable. Among the Premier League giants, besides Chelsea and Arsenal, the other teams all won their matches. Since being held to a draw at home by City, Chelsea has struggled, losing 2-0 away to Newcastle last round and being held to a 2-2 draw at home by West Bromwich Albion.

It's clear to everyone that Mourinho's Chelsea has significant problems. This was an unexpected turn of events. At the start of the season, when Mourinho's return to Chelsea was announced, many were optimistic about his prospects with the Blues. However, just a few months later, criticism of Mourinho and Chelsea has grown. With transfer market spending second only to City, Chelsea's goals for the season were certainly the league and Champions League titles. But after 11 rounds, Chelsea has only 19 points from 5 wins, 4 draws, and 2 losses, fewer than the much-maligned Manchester United.

This performance does not match Chelsea's spending or external expectations. In contrast, United's manager Moyes, after a rocky start, has seen recent improvements, with the team winning three consecutive games and reaching 20 points, currently in fifth place, one spot above Chelsea. Mourinho's earlier criticism of Moyes now seems like a boomerang, hitting him back. United fans, seeing their old rival struggle while their own team improves, began mocking Chelsea.

Mourinho's penchant for taking jabs at United has not endeared him to their fans. United has several rivals, including local foes City and league rivals Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea. But United fans have focused their ire solely on Chelsea, highlighting the bad blood. For Moyes, consecutive home wins against arch-rivals Liverpool and Arsenal have started to win over United's fans. Their expectations are simple: if Moyes can keep United above their old rivals, even if they don't win the Premier League, that will be acceptable.

United has already defeated Arsenal and Liverpool; victories over Chelsea and City would be perfect. However, given City's current form, winning against them, even at Old Trafford, seems difficult. Some people, however, disagree. A journalist who previously criticized City for over-relying on Lin in the Manchester Evening News wrote another article after the latest round of matches.

"The match against Sunderland confirmed my earlier assessment that City is overly reliant on Lin!"

"By observing City's attacking system in this game, we can see that Lin almost entirely dominates their midfield and forward play. I don't think this is good. Football is a team sport, and relying too much on one player can have severe consequences. Sunderland effectively contained Lin's dribbling and shooting, limiting his opportunities. If not for some late bad luck, with Lin scoring a free kick, Sunderland might have held mighty City to a draw.

I think this match should serve as a warning to City. They must reduce their reliance on Lin. If he gets marked out or has an off day, City's attacking threat will significantly diminish. If City doesn't make changes soon, their results will inevitably suffer."

This article drew considerable attention. Although the City vs. Sunderland game wasn't a marquee matchup, it was more relevant to many lower and mid-table teams than the high-profile clashes between the big clubs. Sunderland's tactics were something they could emulate. Since Sunderland's squad isn't much stronger than theirs, if they could frustrate City at home by parking the bus, other teams could too.

Lin also read the article. While he disagreed with the latter part, he agreed with the analysis that City relied heavily on him. With David Silva injured, City lacked another playmaker. As the only player capable of filling this role, Lin had to juggle multiple duties: acting as a playmaker, advancing the attack, organizing the offense in set pieces, distributing the ball, and even controlling the game's tempo like a deep-lying playmaker.

Lin himself didn't enjoy being the sole focal point. He preferred a setup like at Werder Bremen, where Kevin De Bruyne could consistently supply him with passes, allowing him to focus on scoring. Thinking of this, Lin suddenly realized De Bruyne hadn't been in the spotlight lately. He checked the lineup for Chelsea's recent match and didn't see De Bruyne among the starters or substitutes. It seemed like it had been a while since De Bruyne had played a game. Curious, Lin picked up his phone and called De Bruyne to ask what he was up to.

...

At the Cobham training ground, 20 miles from Stamford Bridge, a young player wearing a dark blue jersey with the number 15 on the back was repeatedly practicing free kicks on the field. Sweat dripped from his temples onto his jersey, clinging to his body, highlighting his physique. A few club staff passing by were surprised to see someone practicing so early. But upon recognizing De Bruyne, they just shook their heads.

"Poor kid, working so hard, but what's the use?" sighed the old security guard, feeling sorry for De Bruyne. The youngster showed up at Cobham rain or shine, diligently training. The guard had seen De Bruyne bulk up from a skinny lad to a well-built athlete. In the old guard's seasoned eyes, De Bruyne had the physicality to compete in the Premier League. However, for reasons unclear—perhaps bias or something else—Mourinho didn't favor him. De Bruyne hadn't played since coming off the bench for 5 minutes in the fifth round. He hadn't been in the squad for several recent league and Champions League matches. After missing out on so many games, De Bruyne realized he had no future at Chelsea.

Once eager to prove himself at Stamford Bridge, De Bruyne had lost that enthusiasm and began seriously considering leaving Chelsea in the winter transfer window. Having been the top assist provider in the Bundesliga last season, even breaking the assist record, De Bruyne wasn't worried about finding another team. It seemed Mourinho simply didn't favor his style.

After finishing his day's training and returning home, De Bruyne met with his agent, Patrick.

"Kevin, have you decided where you want to go?" Patrick, having seen De Bruyne benched by Mourinho, had been contacting other clubs to find a suitable destination. Confident in De Bruyne's abilities, Patrick didn't think his struggles at Chelsea would greatly affect his career. Even if De Bruyne didn't adapt to the Premier League, he could always return to the Bundesliga, where he had proven himself and was well-regarded by several clubs.

Many clubs were interested in De Bruyne, including Bayer Leverkusen, Werder Bremen, and Wolfsburg. Even Borussia Dortmund was considering him, though they couldn't guarantee a starting spot. Apart from Dortmund, all other clubs promised De Bruyne a key role and ample playing time. Patrick thought these options were better than staying at Chelsea.

"I don't know. I haven't decided yet." De Bruyne hesitated, reluctant to leave Chelsea under such circumstances. That's why he trained so hard, hoping to win Mourinho's trust with his efforts. But he failed. Mourinho wasn't moved and hardly noticed him. With Chelsea's poor form, the manager was preoccupied with media criticism, studying opponents, and tweaking tactics, leaving De Bruyne forgotten.

Under these conditions, De Bruyne's hard work seemed in vain. "Don't hesitate. You have no place at Chelsea, and the Premier League might not suit you. The Bundesliga is where you can truly shine. I suggest you transfer to a German club, where your talent can be fully utilized!"

Patrick sensed De Bruyne's thoughts, suspecting he felt frustrated at not proving himself at Chelsea and in the Premier League. However, Patrick advised against letting pride dictate his career path. Staying at Chelsea would yield nothing but wasted time, potentially causing a decline in form and, ultimately, obscurity. Patrick believed it was time for De Bruyne to make a decisive choice.

"Okay, I'll follow your advice," De Bruyne trusted Patrick, having worked with him for four or five years. Knowing Patrick had his best interests at heart, De Bruyne accepted his counsel.

"Great, then we'll continue discussions with the German clubs. By the way, among these clubs, which one do you prefer?"

Relieved, Patrick was pleased with De Bruyne's decision. Every transfer benefited the agent financially, so securing a move away from Chelsea was advantageous for both the player and himself.

"Werder Bremen, I like the old teammates and coach Schaaf," De Bruyne fondly remembered his time at Werder Bremen last season, enjoying the camaraderie and the team's success. But at Chelsea, he felt isolated and unwelcome. No one wanted to associate with a player the coach disliked, especially one who was expendable. De Bruyne had been at Chelsea for nearly four or five months without making a single friend.

"Werder Bremen, huh? They've done well in the Champions League this season, but I must remind you, their squad isn't strong. Their league performance has dipped significantly, currently 8th in the Bundesliga, risking missing out on next season's Champions League."

"In contrast, Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Wolfsburg have stronger squads, currently second, third,

 and fifth in the league, respectively, making them more likely to qualify for the Champions League next year."

Patrick was subtly steering De Bruyne toward a club playing in the Champions League, offering greater exposure and higher-level competition. De Bruyne sighed. He was sentimental, longing to return to Werder Bremen because of the good times he had there. But Patrick's words reminded him that Werder Bremen was no longer the same team. They had lost not only him but also their star player—Lin! Without Lin and himself, Werder Bremen, even under coach Schaaf's guidance, might struggle to balance their league and European commitments. Joining them now might not be the best choice.

"Alright, then let's focus on Leverkusen and Wolfsburg," De Bruyne agreed.

Patrick, elated, immediately booked a flight to Germany to negotiate with these clubs. De Bruyne's transfer fee wouldn't be cheap, likely requiring over £20 million.

After sending off Patrick, De Bruyne's phone suddenly rang. He checked the caller ID and was surprised to see who it was.