Milan’s bid for for Club Brugge midfielder Charles De Ketelaere is €10 million below Leeds United’s offer, according to reports in Italy.
The Rossoneri appear to have made 21-year-old one of their main transfer targets this summer.
But Gianluca Di Marzio said that their offer of €20m plus bonuses is significantly below Brugge’s asking price, while there is a rival bid of €30m plus bonuses from Premier League side Leeds.
The report adds that De Ketelaere’s preference would be a switch to the Rossoneri but it remains to be seen whether a deal can be struck.
Despite winning the Scudetto last season, it’s been a frustrating window for the Rossoneri.
They missed out on Sven Botman, who opted for a move to Newcastle United, while Renato Sanches appears to be close to joining Paris Saint-Germain.
Earlier in the transfer window, Milan had also been linked with a move for Roma midfielder Nicolò Zaniolo but he appears more likely to join Juventus if he leaves the Giallorossi.
On Tuesday, they confirmed the arrival of forward Divock Origi on a free transfer, after he left Liverpool.
If Newcastle and Leeds are preferable to a champions League competing Milan. This will definitely confirm serie a as a second tier League.
@jon – it shows money talks.
It’s not about being a second tier league it’s purely money. Players would rather play for Milan ( bootman ) but clubs holding out for stupid PL money. Leeds are a relegation battle team.
Same as romangoli if he doesn’t got to kazoo he will be playing in the championship in 23-24 imagine a season after winning a scudetto. For €4m a year rather than €3m
Looks like it’s a choice between money & the premier league or champions league experience with Milan.
Serie A is second tier league? your opinion though, I don’t know the logic or theory behind your comment, but football has moved away from where you are seeing from. If a 20-25 years old players can leave a CL playing team and move to China in his peak, then what are you talking about ? Today football is not about CL or Europa League. If a Conference League team offer more money that a UCL Club , they will have the player, that is it.
CDK is still young. Even if he moves to low tier EPL clubs, there is still good chance to make a name for himself in the most popular football league in the world (I wrote popular because I, myself, prefer serie-A), while getting bigger salary than Milan could offer. After 2-3 years he can move on to bigger UCL clubs.
For that particular reason, Milan should stop being cheap and splash the money already. I thought they have 50-60M budget this summer? just focus on 1-2 players and spend what is necessary rather than bargaining for many deals and end up not getting any targeted players at all. We don’t want to hear financial issue as the reason when Inter take back the scudetto next season. After all, Milan have net spent much more money for transfers, compare to other Italian clubs in the last 4-5 years, (even higher than Juventus).
As conte said you can’t eat at a 5 star restaurant with a ten dollar bill.
Chris2
Sound like you think it’s the player that choose money and premier league over CL?
If the offer Milan put forward you maybe could argue that but why would club brugge accept a 33% lower bid from Milan regardless of what the player would like you must sell to the club that pay your asking price not the club that try to low ball you.
Then that the economic reality are that the club that win serie A can’t compete with a club in the bottom of EPL are just sad.
Leeds have made a lot of money from the sale of Philips, and will make even more when rafinha leaves too. Add to that the superior income from the premier league and tv rights, and it is only normal that they’d be able to match the player’s valuation. That’s unless the player downs tools, and doesn’t accept the move. Highly unlikely as he will no doubt triple his wages no matter which club he goes to in the prem. Simple economics just like with bowman. Milan never matched Lille’s valuation of the player.
Fans keep expecting footballing romantics. The kid is Belgian. He isn’t Tonali. He isn’t a lifelong Milan fan. He is a pro who has an agent and a family. 9 times out of 10, footballers move to the club who value them the most. Even if Milan match the valuation but Leeds offer more in wages, you can be guaranteed that the agent will go back to Milan and ask for the wages to either be matched or bettered.
I know its difficult for a lot of you to accept the economic reality, but if the income isn’t there, clubs can’t go and spend money that doesn’t exist. Even if you finish bottom in the prem, you can still take home £100m just from ‘prize money’. This is almost impossible to compete with.
@rian ain’t you allowing your emotional pain becloud your sense of judgement? Get over it already, Milan are Italian champions for a reason and quit crying.
@Rian.
You’re right. His agent would probably tell him the same. Joining Leeds is a step up, but can then move onto ‘bigger’ clubs if he succeeds there. On the flip side, joining a team who could’ve easily been relegated last season is also a huge risk. Big price tag means fickle fans will expect too much too soon. Add to that, Leeds have a SOCCER manager for crying out loud 😂😂😂😂 He will probably end up playing him in deeeefence or ask him if he can play quarter back. The team might start poorly, and he could end up rotting on the bench. Look at Cornet. Terrific player in a largely woeful burnley side. He could end up playing in the championship next season.
Gio – His club can choose what bid to accept, but if the player doesn’t agree personal terms the bid is moot. I think of the culture shock in the UK too. I live in the north of England, not too far from Leeds but I’m frequently in Milan for work and pleasure and I can tell you from experience I would take Milan over Leeds every single time for culture, for quality of life, for practically everything I can think of a measure for. More of a dilemma than it seems.
Agree with you there Chris. No offence to Leeds but they would want to be paying me 5 times the money to choose to live there over Milan.
@O’Gabbs
Nope not really, I respect what Pioli has done in Milan, it’s remarkable. I’d like to say Inter were unlucky to lose in the derby and against bologna but Milan are the champion because they deserve it. I don’t think Pioli can pull off this magic every season, so without proper reinforcement, Inter shall take back the scudetto. It’d be much more satisfying to defeat Milan while they’re at their best, tight race is exciting, that’s all I’m saying.
@Rosario
Yeah nice observation, you’re a realistic milan fan. Milan need to wrap the deal quickly, once raphinha is sold, good luck trying to outbid Leeds. There is still Lang or Ziyech, but he’s old.
@Rian, you earn my respect.