Chelsea: Eden Hazard believes Kevin de Bruyne could have succeeded at Stamford Bridge

Eden Hazard has seemingly bemoaned Chelsea's decision to sell Kevin de Bruyne, reaffirming his belief that his compatriot had the necessary qualities to feature regularly at Stamford Bridge.

De Bruyne arrived in the Premier League from Genk in 2012 but struggled to make any discernible impact. A productive loan spell at Werder Bremen coupled with a continued lack of first-team opportunities under manager Jose Mourinho led to a permanent move to Wolfsburg in January 2014 and the Belgium international has since restored his reputation with a series of excellent performances in the Bundesliga.

Those promising displays have led some Chelsea supporters to question whether Mourinho made the correct decision in offloading De Bruyne and Hazard has no doubt the 23-year-old midfielder will enjoy a stellar career after brushing off that early setback.

"He is a great player," he told L'Equipe in comments reported by the Daily Mail prior to Belgium's upcoming Euro 2016 qualifier against Cyprus in Brussels.

"Mourinho decided to let him go and not play him. It was not my decision, even though I know very well that he could play at Chelsea because he has tremendous qualities. I think at Chelsea, you have more pressure than Wolfsburg. It's a shame he's gone but he'll have a successful career."

Indeed, the consistent form displayed by De Bruyne during a strong campaign for Wolfsburg has led to suggestions the player could even secure a swift return to the Premier League in the coming months.

Manchester United and Manchester City are said to be among the teams vying with Bayern Munich for his signature, although it will surely take a significant sum to prise such a terrific talent away from the Volkswagen Arena.

De Bruyne's recent run of form in both domestic and European competition would suggest he is content at Wolfsburg, although recent comments to the media made it clear he could move on if one of the continent's heavyweights were to make an offer that meets his valuation.

"Should an even bigger club make a move suddenly and Wolfsburg were to agree, it is like it is," he said. "I am not saying that I'll be leaving soon, but I am also not saying that I will stay here forever. That would be stupid."