Belgian forward Charles De Ketelaere has re-emerged as a reported transfer target for Leeds United ahead of the January window.
TEAMtalk are reporting that Leeds are back in the hunt for the 21-year-old following what they describe as a “flop” move to AC Milan.
The Whites outlined De Ketelaere as their primary target over the summer and were willing to pay big-money to seal the signing of the then Club Brugge forward.
The Belgian international was the main talking-point for Leeds who made multiple approaches to sign the forward, but he eventually signed for the Serie A giants for a fee of around €35 million.
How is he getting on in Italy? We take a look here.
Quiz: 20 questions about Leeds United’s recent transfer activity – Can you score 100%?
De Ketelaere has yet to score a goal for Milan since his arrival, and has only collected one assist in Serie A so far as well, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
His performances have largely been good, playing predominantly as an attacking-midfielder behind a striker such as Olivier Giroud. Despite only picking up one assist, the Belgian has perhaps been unlucky as he has collected 2.35 xA and 0.87 xG, as per Wyscout, from around 575 minutes played.
These aren’t figures which jump off the page, but they do illustrate that De Ketelaere is unlucky to only have one goal contribution.
The Belgian’s technical security in possession has been the most impressive thing. Despite the step up to a top five league, he has not looked out of place in keeping the ball tight to him in high pressure moments, and linking play with his teammates.
His press resistant qualities were what set him apart in the Belgian Pro League, but they have not suffered from an increase in the difficulty of the opposition in Serie A.
Above all, De Ketelaere is adding to the AC Milan attack, as this tweet from Tutto Milan on October 30th illustrates.
In terms of chance creation and threat in the final third, the Belgian is impressing in Italy and is still an important component within Stefano Pioli’s team.
He remains one that got away for the Whites, despite what some may call a slow start.
De Ketelaere still has the potential to be one of the world’s best one day, so to label him a failure or flop just yet is overlooking key information and not least exaggerative.
Should Leeds move on from De Ketelaere?
Yes
No
