At one point, Leeds United had the opportunity to sign Belgian up and comer Charles De Ketelaere who is currently competing in the glittering lights of the Champions League.
Leeds were eyeing a move for De Ketelaere back in the summer of 2022 when Andrea Radrizzani was still the acting owner.
Sadly, the acquisition did not go through as the player opted for AC Milan rather than Elland Road.
The Transfer That Never Happened
With the sale of their high-profile players Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips for £100 million together, Leeds had funds to spend.
They further reinforced their squad with players such as Brenden Aaronson, Luis Sinisterra, and Tyler Adams within the same season.
The club also set about a record transfer for Georginio Rutter who cost them £35 million as their new record signing.
But as it turned out, now it was Leeds’ turn to figure out how to sign De Ketelaere. The English side offered transfer discussions to Club Brugge but never made this transfer a reality.
He instead transferred to AC Milan for £29 million instead. His debut season did not go as well as he expected but did not play much in Italy.
Later Milan sent him on loan to Atlanta where he was able to flourish in his career.
De Ketelaere’s Rise at Atalanta
Atalanta’s De Ketelaere became a transformer into a top performer.
During the past year in one season, he made 25 goals during 50 games aiding Atalanta in securing the Europa League championship.
This summer he signed a permanent contract with this club for the sum of 22.5 million pounds.
For De Ketelaere, the current season, apparently, is even better.
Scoring 2 goals and providing 3 assists for the team, he was invincible in a 6-1 victory against Young Boys of the Champions League.
He now has 4 goals and 9 assists across all competitions in his 18 appearances thus far.
Leeds United fans might wonder what could have been. If De Ketelaere had chosen Leeds, his success could have helped the club stay competitive at the top level.
While Rutter has shown promise, De Ketelaere’s Champions League performances are on another level.
Leeds’ transfer choices in 2022 continue to be a topic of debate, but De Ketelaere’s success shows the fine margins in football decisions.
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