Charles de Ketelaere’s price-tag has reportedly halved during a miserable debut season at Serie A champions AC Milan in what may be a boost in Leeds United’s hopes of luring the Belgium international to the Premier League.
After tasting Scudetto glory for the first time in a decade last season, Milan went into the summer window aiming to strengthen a title-winning squad. Hoping to take Stefano Pioli’s team to another level with a handful of well-placed acquisitions.
But, of Milan’s eight summer signings, arguably only Malick Thiaw has been anything approaching a success. Divock Origi has just two goals in 25 games. Aster Vranckx has not started a single Serie A game. Sergino Dest, meanwhile, is all-but certain to return to Barcelona when his loan deal expires.
As for De Ketelaere, Gazzetta dello Sport believe that Milan’s most expensive newcomer in many a year has seen his price-tag drop by half – from £31 million to around £17 million – in the space of just seven months. That, funnily enough, may a lot to do with the fact that the former Club Brugge wonderkid has not scored a single goal in 31 games for the Rossoneri; a man who found the net on a regular basis in Belgium failing to adapt to life at a higher level.
AC Milan’s Charles De Ketelaere could still end up at Leeds United
Leeds even offered more than the £31 million Milan paid back in August. De Ketelaere opting for Champions League football at the San Siro over a potential relegation battle at Elland Road.
“Leeds United offered forty million euros (£35 million),” explains Club Brugge CEO Vincent Mannaert. “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.”
“Yes (we wanted him). We were there too,” adds Leeds chairman Andrea Radrizzani (DAZN). “But then, in the end, he chose Milan. We need to give him a moment, we’ll see his qualities.”
De Ketelaere’s Serie A struggles, it seems, have not put Leeds United off. TEAMtalk believe that the Yorkshire giants may offer the elegant 22-year-old an escape route out of his Serie A nightmare. Now, with his price-tag dropping seemingly by the week, Leeds missing out during the summer of 2022 could work in their favour if a long-time target is available for half-price 12 months later down the line.
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