Milan have identified Charles De Ketelaere as their top target for the no.10 role. However, the negotiation is not easy due to a few challenges. The demands by Club Brugge are conspicuous, and other teams are seriously pursuing him.
As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri had a meeting with his agent Tom De Mul Wednesday. The player is open to transferring. There would not be problems on that front. If he joined, he would sign a five-year contract with €2/2.5M wages.
AC Milan are pushing for Charles de Ketelaere deal. Talks progressing on both player and club sides, Charles wants Milan as priority over Premier League clubs. ??? #ACMilan
New contacts ongoing between Milan and Club Brugge. De Ketelaere and Ziyech, main Milan targets. pic.twitter.com/V973NsU3YI
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 8, 2022
Instead, Milan are more concerned with the price tag and the fierce contenders for De Ketelaere. Their opening €20M bid was rejected. Instead, Leeds United have put €30M on the table. They will likely part ways with their ace Raphinha and need to find an adequate replacement. Southampton, Leicester City and Everton had shown interest in June.
According to the publication, the prodigy is ready to pick the Rossoneri over the Premier League sides currently chasing him. However, that could change if one of the powerhouses came forward. In any case, the Scudetto winners will have to spend €30/35M to onboard him.
Our Take on Milan and De Ketelaere
They already lost the race to a secondary English side for Sven Botman, and an encore would be quite embarrassing, also factoring in the advantage of playing in the Champions League. The Rossoneri have a bigger need in this role than in the defense, so they should be more determined. There are no more alibis with the management fully operational now.