Charles De Ketelaere could be on his way to the Premier League or Serie A as Everton and West Ham United battle AC Milan for the Club Brugge winger, as reported by Calciomercato.
While Jupiler League exports have a mixed track record when it comes to adapting to life on English shores, it’s worth pointing out De Ketelaere has proven himself against Paris Saint-Germain as well as Eupen and Leuven.
The 20-year-old shone as Brugge won the domestic title last season – winning the division’s young player of the season along the way. However, it’s his performances in the Champions League that have really caught the eye.
Standing at 6ft 4in, you wouldn’t expect De Ketelaere to carry the ball with such style and grace.
But, like former Brugge teammate Sander Berge, the rangy winger possesses the kind of technique and dribbling skills you don’t often associate with someone of his size.
There was a touch of Jack Grealish or Kaka in the way De Ketelaere breezed past the RB Leipzig defence to set up Brugge’s equaliser in the 2-1 Champions League victory last month.
Everton and West Ham want to bring De Ketelaere to the Premier League
According to Calciomercato, De Ketelaere’s skill, speed and end product has caught the eye of West Ham, Everton, AC Milan and Napoli.
Manchester City were also mentioned as a potential destination earlier this year although, according to former Belgium international Marc Degryse, it may be too soon for De Ketelaere to join a club that can already count on Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Grealish himself.
“Manchester City still seems a bit too high for me. But maybe first an intermediate step, to a club that has ambition,” Degryse told Voetbal24.
“Like Leicester City, for example. If you can continue to grow there, the sky’s the limit.”
De Ketelaere enhanced his growing reputation with a maiden international goal in Belgium’s Nations League third-place play-off defeat to Italy on Sunday.
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