Charles De Ketelaere hasn’t lived up to his price tag and expectations since transferring to Milan, but that doesn’t mean that the club wants to cut bait, even though there are teams that’d gladly onboard him.
Per Fabrizio Romano, the brass isn’t questioning the abilities of the Belgian starlet. The whole management and Stefano Pioli agreed upon his acquisition. They’ll look to protect him during his struggles, hoping he’ll eventually improve. That’s the plan also for the summer.
De Ketelaere joined Milan in a €32M move from Club Brugge in the past window. He has provided just one assist in 18 appearances so far, failing to score. He quickly lost minutes to the previous starter at the position, Brahim Diaz, who has been more productive.
The 21-year-old has been linked to Newcastle abroad. However, in reality, the Magpies haven’t formally inquired about him. In addition, they are searching for a new winger, a midfielder, and a fullback rather than a no.10. In any case, the Rossoneri told the Belgian’s agent that he’s not for sale and that they believe in him.
Our Take on Milan and De Ketelaere
The defending champions aren’t ones to panic. While they would obviously be happier if he had an immediate impact, they’ll give him plenty of opportunities to find his footing and protect their unusually large investment. Taking time to adjust to a new league, especially a challenging one like Serie A, is nothing new. It happened for instance to a proven champion like Christian Eriksen in a similar role a few years ago, and he eventually thrived. The more interesting question is whether the early flop could sway the Rossoneri into being more careful with their future splurges.
 |
Follow us on Google News for more updates on Serie A and Italian football |