Leeds United offered £35 million for Charles de Ketelaere before the Belgium international chose Serie A champions AC Milan over a move to the Premier League, Club Brugge CEO Vincent Mannaert tells the MidMid Podcast.
Earlier this week, PSV chief Marcel Brands opened up on the deal that could have seen Cody Gakpo swap PSV Eindhoven for Elland Road. For a club-record fee of £43 million, no less.
While an otherwise impressive transfer window might have ended with a feeling of frustration in West Yorkshire, you cannot question Leeds’ ambition. Big-money bids for both Gakpo and De Ketelaere prove that Leeds are willing to put their money where their mouth is when an opportunity to sign a potentially game-changing talent arrives.
“Leeds United offered forty million euros (£35 million) for Charles,” explains Mannaert. “It is not that De Ketelaere was not interested. But, at that time, his preference was for AC Milan.”
The reigning Scudetto holders, after all, can offer Champions League football this season, plus a shot at silverware. Furthermore, De Ketelaere will have been aware of Milan’s reputation as a finishing school for the game’s best young players; from Rafael Leao to Fikayo Tomori, Sandro Tonali to Ismael Bennacer.
Leeds United miss out on Charles de Ketelaere to AC Milan
“I never really thought we wouldn’t come to an agreement,” Mannaert adds.
Leeds, he says, were ‘willing to pay more’ than a Milan side who eventually forked over an initial fee of £32 million.
“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.”
21-year-old De Ketelaere, who also caught the eye of Arsenal, Newcastle United and West Ham, is yet to score in nine appearances under Stefano Pioli. He did, however, produce impressive performances in recent Serie A clashes with Napoli and Inter.
“De Ketelaere is a top player. I say so,” Milan team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic points out. “You just have to give him some time to grow.”
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