AC Milan agree the transfer of De Ketelaere to Serie A rivals
AC Milan and Atalanta have reached an agreement for the transfer of Charles De Ketelare to the Bergamo club.
The adventure of Charles De Ketelaere with AC Milan has reached the end point. It turned out to be a short lived one but the decision to let the 22-year-old Belgian attacking midfielder leave is considered to be the best decision for all parties. AC Milan have reached a total agreement for De Ketelaere to join Atalanta on loan with the option to make the transfer permanent at the end of the season.
Atalanta will pay a fee of €3 million for the loan while if they decide to purchase De Ketelaere permanently they must fork out €23 million more brining the total fee to €26 million. That is lower than the €35 million figure Milan paid to Club Brugge for the Belgian but it still allows the Rossoneri to make a profit of 2 million after amortization. Atalanta will also cover hs full salary.
AC Milan tried to insert a buy back clause into the agreement, however, that was not accepted by Atalanta. The interest of Atalanta in Charles De Ketelaere is not new. In fact, the Bergamo side were the first Italian club to move for the Belgian talent but at the end he preferred a transfer to the Rossoneri.
The decision to let Charles move to Atalanta is considered the best for various reasons. Stefano Pioli will be switching to 4-3-3 for next season leaving no space for an attacking midfielder. At the same time Milan had received no offer from any clubs for a permanent bid so loaning him out was the only option available.
The transfer to Atalanta is a golden opportunity for De Ketelaere to shine in Serie A. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has done a fantastic work with young players on constant basis. Many fans are worried that AC Mila might be making a mistake considering Atalanta’s insistence to acquire his services and potentially make him their second most signing ever.
AC Milan have decided to part ways with De Ketelare after only one season. The Rossoneri didn’t have the patience to offered the talented Belgian attacking midfielder another opportunity at San Siro. Charles made 40 appearances last season recording only one assists and failiving to live up to expectations.
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