There are reports Atalanta are already working to purchase Charles De Ketelaere from Milan, but could then sell him to the Premier League at a profit.
The Belgium international was a flop with the Rossoneri following his €36.5m transfer from Club Brugge in the summer of 2022 and failed to score a single goal.
He was loaned to Atalanta for €3m with an option to buy for a further €22m plus add-ons, including a 10 per cent cut of the future sale fee.
De Ketelaere has flourished in Bergamo this season under the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, amassing nine goals and seven assists in 27 appearances between Serie A, the Europa League and Coppa Italia.
According to Calciomercato.it, Atalanta are already in talks with Milan to activate their purchase option ahead of schedule and discussing with the player’s entourage a way of lowering the €5m per season salary.
This would be achieved by spreading it out over a longer contract.
However, the same report warns that CDK might not necessarily remain with Atalanta for long, as they are also open to Premier League offers for the Belgian.
It is not dissimilar to their tactics when signing Cristian Romero from Juventus, initially on loan with option to buy for €17m, and selling him on to Tottenham Hotspur for €50m at a massive profit.
L'Atalanta vuole riscattare #DeKetelaere: discorsi già avviati con l'entourage del belga per provare ad abbassare/spalmare l'ingaggio lordo di circa 5 milioni. Non escluso un Romero bis, ovvero riscatto e poi cessione in Premier. @calciomercatoit https://t.co/MJYcVYQbOF
— Raffaele Amato (@RaffaeleAmato14) February 9, 2024
So basically anti football …Opportunistic Club business , vile.