Over the summer transfer window, Leeds United pushed very hard to try and sign Charles de Ketelaere from Club Brugge.
In the end, the Whites were beaten to it by Milan, as the player wanted to join the Serie A winners over a team that had barely escaped relegation from the Premier League, which was understandable.
However, his time in Italy has been anything but breezy, with the Belgian struggling to have an impact in Stefano Pioli’s side, leaving some wondering whether he might have been better off heading to Leeds.
The issues have continued, to the point where Gazzetta dello Sport are wondering what Milan should do with him going forward.
They explore various options, such as changing his role, which won’t happen, or whether a premature exit should be on the cards.
The latter would certainly give Leeds a second crack at signing him in the summer if they were to remain in the Premier League, and Milan, while preferring to keep him, could be persuaded otherwise.
That’s what the Italian newspaper suggests, at least, stating that, as things stand, the Serie A side ‘want to keep’ the Belgian and think ‘they can change his awful first year together’.
They aim to make him ‘grow’, but ‘if an offer arrives, it will be evaluated’.
That means Leeds, if they still really want him, could put money on the table, but Gazzetta and Milan are aware that ‘it is unlikely that anyone today offers more than the €32m + €3m in bonuses’ paid to Brugge last year.
Whether they would accept a bit less remains to be seen, but the opening could be there.
