Milan are reportedly closing in on personal terms with Club Brugge whizz-kid Charles De Ketelaere after putting their pursuit of Hakim Ziyech to the back seat. According to Calciomercato, the newly-crowned Serie A champions have reached a ‘verbal agreement’ with the player over his summer move to San Siro.
Milan and De Ketelaere have reportedly agreed on a €5m-a-year salary. The 21-year-old is enthusiastic about moving to Serie A and has already instructed his representatives to make the deal happen. But convincing Brugge could prove rather tricky.
The reigning Belgian champions have slapped a €30m price tag on their jewel. And it appears they have no intention to budge on their valuation. That could spell trouble for the Italians’ hopes of taking De Ketelaere away from his homeland.
Indeed, that is not the kind of money Milan can afford to spend on a single player. Despite lifting the Scudetto last season, the Rossoneri are still working on a tight budget. Besides, Paolo Maldini is still eager to lure Ziyech away from Chelsea.
Although Milan have currently prioritised a move for De Ketelaere, the Morocco international is still tickling Maldini’s imagination. Chelsea are open to selling their highly-paid misfit, and the deal could go through, regardless of De Ketelaere.
In the meantime, Milan are working on sending Daniel Maldini out on loan. The 20-year-old was part of Stefano Pioli’s squad that won the Serie A title last season. Yet, the Rossoneri want their prodigious attacking midfielder to gain experience and regular first-team football.
Hellas Verona are at the head of the queue after convincing Milan to sanction Maldini’s temporary switch. Marc’Antonio Bentegodi has proved a fertile ground to cultivate young talents. So this could be a good move for the 20-year-old.