Charles De Ketelaere admits he doesn’t want to return to Milan: ‘They are a top club, but I need to play right now.’
De Ketelaere confirms he doesn’t want to return to Milan at the end of the season. The 23-year-old moved to Atalanta on loan from an option to buy last summer and La Dea can make his move permanent for €22m.
“I’ve learned a lot from the negative season at Milan,” CDK told HLN.
“It helped me to take steps forward and it will help me more in the future. You can learn a lot from a good season, but you learn even more from seasons that are not so good.
£I am happy at Atalanta; I’ve found the right environment for me and my playing style, which only Atalanta could give me. We play good football and all the players know what to do. Gasperini is tough but also fair.”
Therefore, the versatile striker hopes to stay at the Gewiss Stadium beyond the summer.
“If it were up to me, I’d stay here because I can further improve,” he said.
“Milan are a big club, but I need to play right now and I don’t want to end up on the bench again. Atalanta are helping me, from the staff to my teammates and the fans who have made me feel at home.”
De Ketelaere has scored 10 goals and provided eight assists in 36 appearances across all competitions this season, while during his first and only campaign at San Siro he only managed one assist in 40 matches.
Gian Piero Gasperini has been using the ex-Club Burgge star as a striker, giving CDK more opportunities to make a difference in the final third.
CDK joined Milan in a €36.5m deal in 2022, becoming Rossoneri’s most expensive summer signing two years ago.