Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City are among the clubs eyeing a summer swoop for Charles De Ketelaere.
A recent report from Voetbal Nieuws has shed some light on the future of Charles De Ketelaere. The young attacker is starting to attract interest from some of the biggest clubs in England, including Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. The two Premier League giants are aware of the player’s precarious situation at Club Brugge and want to snap him in the summer.
De Ketelaere is available even in the January transfer window, but the interested parties may have to cough up as much as €40 million to convince Brugge, whereas a summer exit remains a foregone conclusion.
A native of Bruges, De Ketelaere has been a part of the club’s youth setup since 2008, from the age of seven. The youngster has gone on to become one of the most talented players to come out of the academy, after winning his promotion to the senior side in the summer of 2019.
Since then, he has appeared in over 100 competitive matches for the club, scoring 19 goals while providing 18 assists. A versatile forward who can play as a No. 9, out on the flanks or even as an attacking midfielder, the 20-year-old has built a formidable partnership alongside Noa Lang, helping the club dominate Belgian football in recent years.
Tottenham Hotspur have been tracking the progress of Charles De Ketelaere for quite some time now. Their new coach Antonio Conte has given the green light for Fabio Paratici to pursue the talented prospect. The youngster could be an ideal replacement for Dele Alli, a player currently in denial and likely to leave North London amid interest from Newcastle United.
Even Giovani Lo Celso is facing an uncertain future at Spurs, with the Argentine reportedly linked with a return to Real Betis. His potential departure could pave the way for the club to target a new playmaker like De Ketelaere, who could also provide cover for Harry Kane in the No. 9 position. However, the Lilywhites are set to stiff competition from league rivals Leicester City.
The Foxes have endured a difficult season so far, which is why Brendan Rodgers is already preparing to build a solid base for the future. De Ketelaere fits the bill well as the youngster can serve as the ideal number ten that can complement James Maddison and Harvey Barnes on either side. He can also reunite with his Belgian national teammates in Youri Tielemans and Timothy Castagne.
However, it remains to be seen whether De Ketelaere will favour a move to the King Power Stadium next summer, especially if Leicester City fail to qualify for Europe.