Throwback Thursday - The mesmerising season that convinced Manchester City to sign De Bruyne

Wolfsburg came within 10 points of winning just their second Bundesliga title in 2015, but were pipped over the finish line by Bavarian powerhouse Bayern Munich. After securing glory in 2009, the hope was for the German side to repeat the feat six years later, but Bayern’s might proved too much The Wolves. 

Nevertheless, Wolfsburg drew plenty of admirers for their stunning season. A solid centre-back partnership of Naldo and Robin Knoche saw them concede the fourth fewest goals that campaign, with 38. Luiz Gustavo was a regular feature shielding the defence alongside one of Josuha Guilavogui or Maximilian Arnold in a 4-2-3-1 setup with Gustavo (97) and compatriot Naldo (118) ranking third and first, respectively, for interceptions to ensure Diego Benaglio was rarely tested; Wolfsburg conceded the fourth fewest shots per game in the Bundesliga in 2014/15, with 12.2. 

Further forward, Ivan Perisic and Daniel Caliguiri provided the width, while Ricardo Rodriguez helped stretch opponents from deep. Up front, Bas Dost and Ivica Olic were effective forwards that netted 21 league goals between them as Wolfsburg as a team netted 72 Bundesliga goals; only Bayern (80) bagged more. 

The heartbeat of the team, though, was Belgian sensation Kevin De Bruyne. Having struggled to make an impact for Chelsea under Jose Mourinho, De Bruyne was sent to Germany, first with Werder Bremen on loan and then sold to Wolfsburg for £18m in January 2014. Netting three and assisting six in the second half of the season, it took time for De Bruyne to get back up to speed after a prolonged spell on the sidelines in west London. 

However, in his first and only full season with Wolfsburg, De Bruyne was magnificent. Forming a fine understanding with his attacking teammates, the Belgium international provided five goals for Dutchman Dost, that the best assist-to-goalscorer combination in the Bundesliga that season, and a further three assists for Caligiuri and Arnold. 

All in all, De Bruyne notched a whopping 20 assists, eight more than his nearest competitor Zlatko Junuzovic (12). Netting 10 times, too, De Bruyne had a direct hand in 41.7% of Wolfsburg’s league goals that season as he returned a WhoScored rating of 7.95; only wing-wizard Arjen Robben (8.45) earned higher. 

De Bruyne, though, was named Bundesliga Player of the Year in the 2014/15 season and featured in the Team of the Year that campaign and deservedly so. That season, he ranked first for key passes (112), clear-cut chances created (24) and accurate through balls (11) as Chelsea fans began to rue the decision to sell the mercurial Belgian. 

That solitary full season, though, convinced Manchester City to spend big to sign De Bruyne in the summer of 2015. Indeed, City parted ways with £55m to secure his services and the move looks every bit the bargain with each passing season as he continues to shine. His debut campaign was stunted by injury - De Bruyne missed 12 league matches with a knee problem between January and March - and it saw him return just seven goals and nine assists. 

It was the 2016/17 campaign that De Bruyne really began to prove his worth, that City’s debut season under Pep Guardiola, as the Belgium international scored six and registered 18 assists for Guardiola’s side. Now one of the more recognisable faces in football, it took a move to Germany for De Bruyne to not only get out of the spotlight, but to rebuild a reputation that had been damaged by Mourinho’s insistence on not playing him. 

To say De Bruyne was mesmerising in his only full season at Wolfsburg would be a criminal understatement with the creative star one of the league’s top performers. He gave Wolfsburg hope of another Bundesliga title, all the while playing a key role in their DFB-Pokal triumph over Borussia Dortmund, and it wasn’t a real surprise to see City spend big to bring him back to England as he proved his credentials as one of Europe’s rising attacking stars and has since gone on to realise the immense potential shown during his early years with Genk.