Former Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma reveals he snubbed Stamford Bridge return before sealing Wolfsburg move
New Blues boss Antonio Conte tried taking Dutchman back to Premier League but PSV Eindhoven ace wanted Bundesliga
CHELSEA made a bold attempt to re-sign Jeffrey Bruma before he joined Wolfsburg.
The Dutch centre-back spent six years at Stamford Bridge before he was shipped off to PSV Eindhoven in 2013, and is now with the Bundesliga giants after winning the league and cup double in Holland last season.
Bruma was tipped for big things when he joined Chelsea’s youth system from Feyenoord for £100,000 in 2007, but only managed to make nine appearances in all competitions before a year on loan at Leicester in 2010.
Bruma subsequently spent two seasons at Hamburg before sealing a permanent move to PSV, and has sensationally revealed new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte tried to bring him back to London last month.
Revealing he also had an offer from Inter Milan, Bruma told : “I had other options like Inter Milan. I could have gone back to Chelsea, who wanted me.
“Also there was a way to stay at PSV Eindhoven, who are regularly in the Champions League. But in the end I was attracted by the project at Wolfsburg.
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“Wolfsburg is a club where I can play. This is very important for my further development.
“At Chelsea or Inter, it would have been difficult for me to make the next step.
“My goal is to return to European football. Everyone knows how beautiful it is to play in the Champions League.”
Chelsea are known to be in the market for a centre-back this summer, with John Terry approaching 36 and Kurt Zouma still recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Versatile full-back Branislav Ivanovic is also set for a lengthy period on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder in pre-season, leaving Gary Cahill and youngster Matt Miazga as Conte’s only two centre-backs.
The Blues have been actively chasing a deal for Napoli ace Kalidou Koulibaly, but his eye-watering valuation has recently led to interest in Roma star Kostas Manolas as well.