De Bruyne has long been linked with the Blues and revealed during the transfer window that the two clubs were in talks over his signature.
The 20-year-old stayed put but can impress Villas-Boas in Genk’s Champions League double-header with Chelsea over the next fortnight. Villas-Boas said: “He’s exceptionally gifted technically and reminds me of the old technical Belgian players like Enzo Scifo.”