CM: De Ketelaere sets record with Atalanta – Milan stand to lose out after several mistakes | OneFootball

Charles De Ketelaere continues to be the star of the show for Atalanta after his failed spell at AC Milan, and more background on his exit has emerged.

As Calciomercato.com recall, De Ketelaere’s haul after his €30m+ move was one assist in 1,481 minutes at Milan. Last night, in 39 minutes, he served three assists, each more beautiful than the other, so much so that the goal was the scrappiest thing he did in his time.

For this reason, in the second half he decided to go it alone, dribbling and surging through to get the fifth goal of the night in an eventual 6-1 win for Atalanta over Young Boys.

In doing so he became the first player to contribute to at least five goals in a match with an Italian team in the Champions League.

The rebirth

How is De Ketelaere such a different player compared to when he was at Milan? First of all the environment has less pressure and is more forgiving, promoting patience and trust which is rare at top clubs today.

He plays for a team that moves in sync, without selfishness, a cohesive group in which everyone feels like a starter and a potential scorer at the same time. In Bergamo, every player is studied, personalising the growth path of each one.

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De Ketelaere’s potential – even in his time at Milan – was immense. His weapon is his versatility, the ability to see spaces where there are none, the courage to throw himself into danger areas and the intelligence of his intuitions.

Instead, his way of playing was mistaken for apathy at Milan, with some fans perceiving him to not be good enough for any one position and relegating him to the margins under Stefano Pioli.

Milan’s mistakes

If his name weren’t Charles De Ketelaere, the kind of numbers he is getting might make him a Milan target. Now it’s too late because the Rossoneri ‘have lost out, above all financially’.

In the summer of 2022, the management got him for €32m plus €3m in bonuses and a resale clause in favour of Club Brugge. These were advantageous conditions only in the face of an explosion that did not happen.

He signed after an exhausting, endless negotiation; a very long tug of war between Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara against Vincent Mannaert, Club Brugge’s transfer man.

It is here that Milan made a double mistake: they invested €35m and used him as a playmaker, and then he wasn’t protected when the performances did not follow.

Atalanta swooped, sensing that there was a player in there ready to explode, and they secured a €3m loan plus a €22m option to buy and €4m in bonuses. They were able to defer the payment and will now recover the expense with interest, because he is worth over €40m.

The Belgian with Atalanta has already collected 18 goals and 20 assists in 68 games, and he will become a permanent signing for them when making his first appearance after February 1 of next year, or after the first point won by Atalanta at the end of the winter transfer window.