Former Chelsea football chief Michael Emenalo has recalled the push-back he received when signing Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne as a teenager.
Discussing his move for De Bruyne, Emenalo admits there was plenty of cynicism inside Chelsea over the deal with Genk in 2012.
He told the Guardian: "At first they always said: No player from the youth has ever moved up.
“A guy who's been here from the age of seven can never be ready to challenge Frank Lampard at the age of 19. So it became crucial to look for players between the ages of 19 and 22 so that we could prepare him to become a Chelsea player. We did that with De Bruyne.
"He was barely 18 years old and a super talent. But the first time when I said about De Bruyne that he would possibly be a Lampard everyone laughed at me. It was the same with Romelu Lukaku. He was 18 years old and I told them to be patient with him for five years."
Emenalo also revealed: "My scouts saw what was happening in Belgium. Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Chadli, Vertonghen, Courtois. But they asked me: 'Since when did Belgium suddenly become Brazil? Who is this Kevin De Bruyne?' I replied: 'I don't look at passports. I am looking at a player. And this player doesn't give a bad pass. I don't know if he will become a superstar, but there is something'."
