Leeds United have accepted defeat in their pursuit of Club Brugge ace Charles de Ketelaere with Calciomercato reporting that the Premier League outfit have turned their attention to PSG’s Arnaud Kalimuendo.
Now, De Ketelaere and Kalimuendo are hardly two peas in a footballing pod.
While the former is an ethereal, almost Kai Havertz-style talent – Leeds reportedly see the tousle-haired Belgian as a ‘false nine’ – Kalimuendo is more an old-school throwback of a centre-forward.
The France U21 international does most of his business between the width of the posts; A penalty-box presence who loves nothing more than tapping in from five yards, or racing onto through balls before finishing calmly one-on-one.
And what De Ketelaere and Kalimuendo do have in common is an eye for goal. The former scored 18 times last season for a title-winning Brugge side.
The latter, meanwhile, found the net 13 times himself across 2021/22. A more-than-respectable tally for a 20-year-old leading the line on loan at an RC Lens side who once again defied expectations while finishing above Lyon and Lille in the Ligue 1 table.
Charles de Ketelaere or Arnaud Kalimuendo for Leeds United
“(Kalimuendo) is already the prototype of a modern striker. From the ages of 18 to 20, he not only showed that he deserves his place in Ligue 1, but he continued to score goals,” says Lens coach Frank Haise.
“He is an attacker for the future, and is clever in the finish. He is able to play with his back to the goal, to attack the box, to create spaces for team-mates.”
Leeds United failed with an opening bid of around £18 million last month. A Paris Saint-Germain side in transition may be willing to cash in to the tune of £23 million however (L’Equipe).
A sizeable sum, certainly, but far less than the fee Club Brugge are demanding for De Ketelaere. Leeds have offered a £31 million but a potential club-record deal hit the buffers with De Ketelaere making it clear that he would rather join an AC Milan side who won their first Serie A title in a decade last term, despite boasting one of Italian football’s youngest squads.
According to Calciomercato, Leeds have ‘thrown in the towel’, accepting that De Ketelaere has little interest in joining Luis Sinisterra, Marc Roca and co at Elland Road.
Kalimuendo is now the number one target.
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