Leeds United and Burnley could offer Charles de Ketelaere a fresh start in the Premier League but AC Milan legend Kaka is hoping to see the Belgian international salvage his stuttering Serie A career instead.
The Rossoneri may be Champions League semi-finalists – going head-to-head with arch rivals Inter for the right to face off against Manchester City or Real Madrid – but their European exploits have rather papered over the cracks as far as their poor domestic form is concerned.
There is a very real chacne that Milan, fifth in Serie A, will not even qualify for the Champions League next term. Last season’s Scudetto winners are over 20 points adrift of new victors Napoli; the Rossoneri recruitment department fielding their fair share of the blame following a summer of failed additions.
Divock Origi has scored only two league goals. Alessandro Florenzi and Aster Vranckx have barely featured. De Ketelaere, meanwhile, has been the biggest disappointment of the lot; a prolific goalscorer at Club Brugge yet to get off the mark for Milan after arriving for an eye-watering £30 million.
Is Charles de Ketelaere heading to Leeds or Burnley on loan?
De Ketelaere, elegant and technically-gifted, was likened to 2007 Ballon D’Or winner Kaka when arriving at San Siro. But, after no goals in 37 games, it’s fair to say those comparisons have subsided.
“I would tell him to go on the pitch with a clear mind,” Kaka tells Corriere della Sera, hoping to see one of Milan’s most expensive signings in recent years bounce back from a dreadful debut season.
“(De Ketelaere must start) making those plays that earned him the interest of Milan (in the first place).”
According to Belgian publication Le Soir, Leeds and newly-promoted Burnley have already informed Milan that they are willing to take De Ketelaere on loan for the 2023/24 campaign.
Long-term admirers Leeds wanted to make De Ketelaere their record signing last summer. And their hopes of belatedly luring the struggling attacker to Elland Road live and die on whether Sam Allardyce can keep relegation-threatened heads above water.
“Leeds United offered £35 million for Charles,” explains Vincent Mannaert, Club Brugge’s CEO. “It is not that De Ketelaere was not interested. But, at that time, his preference was for AC Milan.”
“In the end, it turned out that (we agreed a deal) relatively quickly. Charles understood that Milan initially offered too little. Leeds were willing to pay more, but we also respected the choice of our player.”
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