Aston Villa have reportedly lodged a €25 million bid to secure the services of AC Milan playmaker Charles De Ketelaere, but the Rossoneri’s asking price is €30 million.
That is according to a report from Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, which claims that Aston Villa have made an offer for Belgian midfielder Charles De Ketelaere in the region of €25 million. But AC Milan want more money before sanctioning his exit.
The 22-year-old first burst onto the scene with his boyhood club, Club Brugge, after coming through the youth ranks. He enjoyed an impressive spell with Bruges, as he scored 25 goals and provided 20 assists in 120 appearances to emerge as one of the hottest young talents across Europe.
However, it has been a tough 12 months for De Ketelaere. It is fair to say, things ultimately did not go as planned after he landed his big move to Serie A last year when AC Milan pushed extremely hard to beat then-Premier League side Leeds United to the signature of the Belgian last summer.
However, the youngster has been one of the most disappointing signings of last season, as he struggled for form and confidence before even struggling to get back into the starting XI. He managed just one assist and no goals in 40 outings for the San Siro outfit in his debut campaign, looking a shadow of the player who prompted Milan to spend €35 million on him last summer.
It comes as little surprise that the Rossoneri are now open to listening to offers for the ex-Club Brugge star as they close in on signing Christian Pulisic and Tijjani Reijnders from Chelsea and AZ Alkmaar, respectively, for a combined €40–45 million.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are ready to offer the Serie A giants and the player an exit route to part company this summer. They have tabled a bid worth €25 million, which falls short of AC Milan’s €30 million asking price. The Rossoneri need at least €28 million to break even on their initial investment in De Ketelaere.
The Villans are having a relatively busy summer transfer window, having signed two players so far. Youri Tielemans arrived as a free agent from Leicester City before the high-profile signing of Spain defender Pau Torres from Villarreal. And the Spaniard became Villa’s second-most expensive signing in their history behind the £38 million transfer of Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City in 2021.
Their ambitious owners have been exceedingly opportunistic in the transfer market in recent times. They roped in Boubacar Kamara and Tielemans on a free transfer, as well as Alex Moreno, Torres, and Lucas Digne on cut-price deals.
They may view De Ketelaere as a good market opportunity following his struggles with Milan. Although he has failed to live up to his billing at San Siro, there is no reason why he cannot excel at Villa Park under Emery, who has improved a host of pre-existing players at the club.
De Ketelaere is a good creator both from open play and from set-pieces, and his goal-scoring numbers in the Jupiler Pro League show his efficiency in front of goal. It will be interesting to see whether Aston Villa are prepared to raise their offer and strike a deal with AC Milan for the versatile Belgian ace.
