Club Brugge midfielder Charles De Ketelaere has turned down a move to Leeds United in favour of AC Milan, according to reports.
The Belgium international came through the youth ranks at Club Brugge and made his debut in September 2019 in a Belgian Cup match against Francs Borains.
His career has gone from strength to strength since then, winning three top flight titles in Belgium, playing in the Champions League and representing Belgium eight times.
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De Ketelaere was in sensational form last season for Brugge, contributing 14 goals and nine assists in Belgium’s top league, while he also got one assist in six Champions League matches.
And that form has seen Leeds take an interest in the 21-year-old with Het Laatste Nieuws journalist Tomas Taecke claiming that the Yorkshire side made a €35m bid, including bonuses, ‘in recent days’ for De Ketelaere.
However, Taecke insists that De Ketelaere ‘wants to go to Milan after talks with [Paolo] Maldini and [Stefano] Pioli and refuses Leeds’.
🔵🟡 Leeds United bracht de voorbije dagen een bod uit op De Ketelaere dat via bonussen makkelijk tot 35 mio kan oplopen. #LUFC
🔴⚫️ CDK wil evenwel naar Milan na gesprekken met Maldini en Pioli en weigert Leeds. #ACMilan
Meer op @hlnsport! #clubbrugge
— Tomas Taecke (@tomaztaecke) July 6, 2022
Their interest comes after their £45m sale of Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City with Leeds now looking to bring in another midfielder this summer.
And former Aston Villa manager thinks the “reinvestment is crucial” if they want to better their 17th-placed finish last season.
“The reinvestment is crucial and if they don’t get the right personnel coming in then you lose something,” McLeish told Football Insider.
“They are losing the players who kept them in the division for the last few years. You need to replace them with two players who are of a similar level or can be at that same level.
“You will have to pay big money for that kind of player but you need someone who will follow in the footsteps of these guys, someone with real potential.
“Let’s face it, Leeds won’t be signing top four or top six players. This is where we will see Jesse Marsch and his say on who arrives at the club.”
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