The highly-rated 20-year-old, who has already represented his country at senior international level, helped Genk to the Belgian title last season. He has been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge for much of the summer and it now appears the Blues have stepped up their interest. De Bruyne says talks are progressing well and he is optimistic an agreement can be reached that suits everyone. Genk have previously stated they would not allow Chelsea to send De Bruyne out on loan to one of their domestic rivals, after reports suggested he might go to Anderlecht to smooth over the Blues' proposed move for Romelu Lukaku. De Bruyne insists he would have no problem with returning to Genk for another 12 months, having spent his entire professional career with the club. "My manager went to Chelsea on Wednesday and discussions have been good," De Bruyne, currently out of action with a calf injury, told Extra Time "Maybe by the end of the month a deal can be sorted out, because that would be a good thing for all three parties - and if there is an agreement with Chelsea, I would certainly spend another year at Genk." Lukaku's transfer to Chelsea is expected to be finalised this week after a deal was agreed with Anderlecht, while the Blues have already recruited Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from Genk and loaned him to Atletico Madrid.
