Why Chelsea FINALLY Turned A Corner.
Crystal Palace are now keen to sign Charles de Ketelaere from AC Milan – although the Eagles face competition from other Premier League sides.
That is according to Pianeta Milan in Italy.
So, what are the details involving Crystal Palace and Charles de Ketelaere? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the Belgium international joined AC Milan back in August 2022 in a £27m deal from Club Brugge, arriving at the San Siro with plenty of excitement surrounding him.
However, De Ketelaere endured a very tough 2022/23 campaign in Milan, failing to score in 40 appearances with just one assist to show for his efforts.
Nevertheless – at the age of just 22 – the Belgian remains a huge talent, and Crystal Palace are keen to see what he can do at Selhurst Park.
Pianeta Milan believe we have made contact with AC Milan over a deal for De Ketelaere, while West Ham and Everton are also showing an interest.
The Italian news outlet add that AC Milan are happy to sell the attacking midfielder for a €30m (£26m) sum, with his representatives keen on an exit so he doesn’t miss out on EURO 2024 next summer.
De Ketelaere could also leave on loan with an option to buy.
Is Charles de Ketelaere what we need at Crystal Palace?
In our view, it would be unfair to judge a 22-year-old on a difficult debut campaign in a new country.
De Ketelaere – who Roberto Mancini once likened to Kevin De Bruyne, as quoted by Sempre Milan – is still a very precocious talent, and it would certainly be exciting to see him in SE25.
However, it doesn’t sound as if we have a large transfer budget at Selhurst Park this summer, so we feel a move for a proper No.9 should be prioritised, rather than a swoop for another attacking midfielder, especially when Eberechi Eze is performing so well in that area.
If AC Milan agree to a loan deal, and are also happy to cover some of De Ketelaere’s wages, perhaps it would be worth exploring.
Ultimately – however – Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman should not be making the Belgian prospect a priority this summer.
