Arsenal are interested in Charles De Ketelaere as Mikel Arteta continues to explore the market to add exciting talents.
According to Calciomercatoweb, Arsenal have entered the chase for Charles De Ketelaere, joining several other clubs from England and abroad in pursuit of the Belgian star. The versatile attacker could leave Club Brugges for a bigger challenge this summer and the Gunners could be an exciting option.
Charles De Ketelaere is a versatile operator. The Belgian international is capable of playing in several positions in the attacking third. While the 21-year-old has played in a centre-forward zone for most of his career, he has shown great quality when deployed as an attacking midfielder.
The Belgian played 30 games as a centre-forward out of a total of 49 matches in all competitions last season. The others were steadily divided into other positions such as a second striker, attacking midfielder, winger, and even a central midfielder.
The interchanging positions tend to show how versatile and tactically flexible De Ketelaere is, and these are factors that excite potential suitors. Club Brugge remain keen on extracting a significant transfer fee for their prized asset. Leeds United have been chasing him all summer, while Leicester City are also in the race.
De Ketelaere is reportedly uninterested in moving to Leeds, which leaves the door open for other suitors to make their move. AC Milan have been heavily linked in the last weeks, and the San Siro outfit represents one of the biggest clubs interested in the Belgian outside of the Premier League.
However, the Italian outlet suggests Arsenal have also entered the chase for De Ketelaere. The Gunners are the biggest club interested in the Belgian international, and north London could become an exciting destination for the 21-year-old.
Arsenal could be interested in De Ketelaere considering his versatile nature. Mikel Arteta has a good stack of players in the position in Martin Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe. In addition, Arsenal recently signed Fabio Vieira from Porto, which more or less assures plenty of depth in the area.
But, considering De Ketelaere’s ability to play upfront and in midfield, he could become an important target to add more quality and strength to the Gunners’ roster. The Belgian is a generational talent and can prove to be a brilliant addition to any interested teams, including Arsenal. However, if he is to maintain his current form, regular playing time is necessary, which could be an issue at the Emirates.
Given the depth that they have in the attacking positions and the fact that reinforcements in other areas are needed, De Ketelaere would be seen as a luxury option for Arteta’s side. So, it will be interesting to see if they decide to make a push for his signing this summer.
