Charles De Ketelaere, a Milan loanee, is wanted by Europa League champions Atalanta permanently, but funding may be an issue. La Dea want to convince the Rossoneri to drop their demands for the 23-year-old, according to Calciomercato.
After an awful debut campaign at San Siro, De Ketelaere left Milan for Atalanta last summer. The dynamic forward was signed by the Serie A runners-up in 2022 for €36.5 million from Club Brugge. But he had to go a year ago after making just 40 appearances for the Rossoneri and failing to score. It was a great help that Atlanta provided him with a way out. The Belgium international was acquired by Gian Piero Gasperini’s team for a reported €3 million on loan, with the option to buy for slightly over €22 million. Bergamo really wants to sign De Ketelaere long-term, but that will take Milan’s cooperation.
Strapped for cash, Atalanta will try to drive the price down, even though it’s far-fetched. Selling De Ketelaere at a figure lower than €21.97m would inflict a capital loss on Milan’s balance sheets. Therefore, La Dea’s prayers would likely fall on their rivals’ deaf ears. They’ll probably need to raise funds to capture the Belgian.
Teun Koopmeiners’ heavily rumored exit could provide the cash. With Juventus and Liverpool going head-to-head for the Dutch midfielder’s services, Atalanta are in a perfect position to maximize their gains. Though the club would rather keep hold of their standout star, the ex-AZ Alkmaar man seems closer to leaving than staying at the Gewiss Stadium.
