Charles De Ketelaere’s nightmarish spell at Milan is nearing the end as the Italians look to offload their overpaid flop this summer. As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri are open to listening to offers for the Belgian forward following a catastrophic maiden season together.
Milan spent most of last summer chasing De Ketelaere’s signature. Embroiled in a feisty transfer battle with Leeds United, they eventually won the race to make the 22-year-old a marquee signing. However, they couldn’t have dreamt how badly their €30 million acquisition could be.
And the Belgian proved to be just that – a bad investment. In 32 Serie A appearances last season, De Ketelaere failed to record a goal contribution. Despite changing several positions up top, the forward couldn’t click with the rest of Stefano Pioli’s squad. But it gets worse.
The underperforming Milan youngster transferred his underwhelming performances to the international stage. He featured in all three matches at the European Under-21 Championship in June. Guess what? He neither scored nor assisted despite playing all three group fixtures without being subbed off.
So it’s time to say goodbye. Milan will try to raise more funds to finance the team’s reconstruction following Sandro Tonali’s departure for Newcastle United. And De Ketelaere could take one for the team. But the Rossoneri won’t let him go for peanuts. They want to recoup the figure they flushed down the sink last summer.
Atalanta may offer him an escape route from San Siro. However, they examine the possibility of a loan deal. Meanwhile, Milan would ideally sell their outcast outright.
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