The unwanted man will be moving after all! De Ketelaere has agreed a deal with Atalanta, how much is the option for a permanent transfer?

It was the biggest investment of last summer for AC Milan, but Charles de Ketelaere was a disappointment in the red and black jersey. For a long time, the Rossoneri couldn’t find a suitor who would meet their conditions for a potential sale. But now it looks like the young Belgian will move to Atalanta.

As one of the biggest talents in Belgian football, Charles de Ketelaere transferred to AC Milan last August. From Bruges for 35 and a half million euros.

After the necessary acclimatisation, everyone expected the 22-year-old Belgian to perform well in the red and black jersey. But even after one full season in Milan, nothing like that happened.

De Ketelaere has not scored a single goal in 32 league games, notching only one successful assist. And that’s punishingly little for a player that the Italian big club came out for such a sum.

We have already covered the situation surrounding the Bruges native in detail in previous articles. AC Milan, of course, wanted to cash in on the Belgian midfielder as much as possible, with one bidder appearing in recent weeks.

De Ketelaere has been linked with a move to PSV, but for the Dutch club the set price tag of a final €30 million was not realistic.

The Rossoneri then gave up the option of an outright transfer and also offered potential suitors the option of a loan move. And it paid off. According to reports by well-known and trusted journalist Fabrizio Romano, de Ketelaere will leave for Atalanta Bergamo.

The player himself has agreed to the transfer, the only thing left to do is to sign the agreement between the two clubs. De Ketelaere will move to the club from Bergamo first on a loan deal, sending €3 million to Milan.

However, the away move includes an option to buy for €26 million, including bonuses. AC will also receive a 10% future sale clause, bringing the total amount of this ‘package’ closer to the asking price of €30 million.

It should be noted that if Atalanta were to sign the 22-year-old Belgian in the future, it would be one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history.

Football Italia, Transfermarkt, Fabrizio Romano