Fulham submitted a last-minute bid for 22-year-old AC Milan star Charles De Ketelaere who is all set to join Atalanta.
According to Corriere della Sera via Sport Witness, Fulham are keen on having Charles De Ketelaere in their ranks and had submitted a last-minute bid to acquire his services from AC Milan. But, their offer is not good enough to force Milan to break their agreement with Atalanta.
The 22-year-old Belgian youth international came through the ranks at Club Brugge before joining Milan last summer. Since making the move to the Italian giants, the attacking midfielder has featured in a total of 40 matches but he was on the pitch for less than 1500 minutes.
While he has a long-term future at the club, he is unlikely to get much game time next season. As a result, Milan are looking to loan him out for the upcoming campaign. Atalanta have been pushing for his signatures and already have an agreement in place with Milan.
The 22-year-old is all set to join them on a season-long for a fee of €3 million. And, they have agreed to cover his entire wages for the same duration. While both the clubs already have an agreement in place, Fulham still wanted to try their luck.
The Cottagers want to bolster their squad ahead of next season. Their manager Marco Silva wants more firepower in attack and is keen on having the Belgian youth international at his disposal.
Silva believes his arrival could help their cause as Ketelaere is capable enough to feature as an attacking midfielder, a winger, a second striker as well as a striker. As a result, Fulham submitted a last-minute offer to hijack the deal.
They submitted an official bid to AC Milan for his services. While their offer was tempting, it wasn’t good enough to force Milan to break their agreement with Atalanta. And, even the player prefers joining the Italian club over Fulham. The deal with La Dea is in the final stages and is expected to be completed in the coming days. Meanwhile, there is interest in the 22-year-old from elsewhere as well.
