Manchester City maestro Kevin De Bruyne has recently opened up about his departure from Chelsea, aiming to clear the air surrounding his exit and the role played by former manager Jose Mourinho.
For a long time, fans have linked De Bruyne’s departure from Chelsea to Mourinho, often blaming the Portuguese manager for the midfielder’s exit alongside Mohamed Salah’s.

Kevin De Bruyne Sets the Record Straight: Inside Story on Chelsea Exit
However, Kevin De Bruyne stepped forward to offer his side of the story, supporting Mourinho’s claim that he actually wanted to keep him at the club. Speaking in an interview with Rio Ferdinand for TNT Sports, De Bruyne shared the inside scoop on his time at Chelsea and what led to his exit.

According to De Bruyne, Mourinho did express a desire for him to remain at Chelsea, but unfortunately, things didn’t pan out as expected. Despite the chances he had at the club, De Bruyne confessed to feeling restless and eager for regular playtime.
“I signed for Chelsea knowing that I would be loaned out the first year and if I do really well, then we would see what happens,” he said. “I had a really good year at Bremen, then in the summer there was a little bit of tussle.
“I could have gone to Dortmund with Klopp or stay at Chelsea, Jose wanted me to stay, it just didn’t work out, I was maybe a little bit impatient at that time also but I just wanted to play football.”, he said.
"I was maybe a bit impatient"
Kevin De Bruyne speaks to @rioferdy5 about his time at Chelsea 👀 pic.twitter.com/BxL7QBFj0I
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 6, 2024
Kevin De Bruyne’s restless push to a bright future
This restlessness ultimately led him to push for a transfer, which turned out to be a fruitful decision as he enjoyed successful spells at clubs like Wolfsburg and, of course, Manchester City, where he has risen to become one of the best midfielders globally.