• Premier League

De Bruyne in talks with Chelsea

ESPN staff
January 25, 2012
Kevin de Bruyne will finish the season at Genk © PA Photos
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Racing Genk midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is closing in on a move to Chelsea after officials from the Belgium club jetted into London to thrash out a deal.

De Bruyne, 20, has been on Chelsea's radar for some time and could be a Blues player by the end of the week after Genk director Dirk Degraen arrived at Stamford Bridge to complete the transfer.

If the reported £8.5 million deal is completed, it is anticipated De Bruyne will be loaned back to Belgian champions Genk for the rest of the Pro League season.

"Dirk Degraen is in London and the expectation is that it (the transfer of De Bruyne) will be finished this week,'' a Genk spokesman said. "The assumption is that Kevin de Bruyne will be transferred to Chelsea and then will finish the season at Genk.''

Andre Villas-Boas has previously been very open about his admiration of De Bruyne, likening the player to former Belgium great Enzo Scifo. It is believed the Genk man is seen as a key part of the Chelsea manager's attempts to lower the age of the current squad.

Villas-Boas said back in October: ''He's exceptionally gifted technically and reminds me of the old technical Belgian players like Enzo Scifo. We've not only scouted him but we've scouted numerous different players before. It doesn't mean that all of them we scout will eventually join us.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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