Leeds tried hard to bring Charles De Ketelaere to Elland Road over the summer, before the Belgium international eventually joined AC Milan in a £31m deal.
Vincent Mannaert – CEO of Club Brugge – told the MidMid podcast that Leeds were actually willing to pay more than AC Milan with a £35m offer, but the 21-year-old wanted to move to the San Siro.
Now, it seems Leeds may have dodged a bullet, with that £35m surely better spent elsewhere.
De Ketelaere struggles after Leeds interest
Well, we thought it would take time for De Ketelaere to adapt to life at AC Milan after playing for Club Brugge, but we didn’t expect it to take this long.
The Belgian has failed to score in his first 18 appearances for AC Milan, with just one assist to show for his efforts.
£31m is a lot of money for Italian sides in the current climate, given the lack of TV revenue in Serie A in comparison to the Premier League, so AC Milan will be desperately hoping that their new No.90 turns things around.
De Ketelaere attracted interest from Leeds and the Italian giants after impressively scoring 18 goals and providing ten assists in 49 appearances last season.
On that evidence, he is clearly a talented forward, but AC Milan now find themselves waiting for him to adapt and make an impact – Leeds, who look set for another relegation battle, simply couldn’t afford to give him that time, so maybe missing out wasn’t the worst thing for Jesse Marsch.
Leeds still need a De Ketelaere alternative
Leeds failed to land a marquee striker addition after missing out on De Ketelaere, with Wilfried Gnonto the only centre-forward signed.
The Italy international appears to be a fantastic prospect, but Marsch needs a talisman he can rely on week in, week out in the January window, someone who will win points for Leeds even when they aren’t at their best.
Patrick Bamford is struggling for fitness as well as form, and if a reliable No.9 is not found this winter, it could end up costing Leeds their Premier League status.
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