AC Milan have stepped up their pursuit of Club Brugge ace Charles De Ketelaere by making an opening offer, while talks over Hakim Ziyech continue.
The Rossoneri have had a delayed start to the summer transfer window after being held up by the wait for Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara to agree on contract renewals with the club.
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With new deals for the pair being confirmed last weekend, it appears as though our activity in the transfer market is set to intensify, and De Ketelaere and Ziyech appear to be the main objectives currently.
Milan make De Ketelaere opening bid of €20m+
As per Gianluca Di Marzio, Milan have made an opening offer of €20m plus bonuses to Club Brugge for De Ketelaere, but it’s suggested that doesn’t meet their demands and so an improved bid is more than likely going to be needed.
Milan’s pursuit of the 21-year-old could be further complicated by the report noting that Leeds Utd are also interested, and so it remains to be seen if we can avoid being dragged into a bidding war and get a deal done for the talented midfielder.
De Ketelaere has made 120 appearances for Brugge, scoring 25 goals and providing 20 assists in those outings, while he has now been capped by Belgium eight times at senior level.
There is certainly a lot of potential there and excitement over how far he can develop his game, and so it remains to be seen if Milan can reach an agreement over a transfer fee and edge closer to a key long-term signing.
Talks ongoing over Milan swoop for Ziyech
Meanwhile, Di Marzio adds that talks are also ongoing with Chelsea over Ziyech, with the idea of signing the Moroccan playmaker on a permanent basis as opposed to on loan not yet ruled out.
Time will tell if the two clubs can reach a deal with Chelsea likely needed to pay some of his salary, but it’s reported that there is an agreement in principle on personal terms already and so Milan will hope to get this deal done.
Ziyech has struggled to hit top form during his time at Stamford Bridge, but his creativity and technical ability isn’t under question as he has shown previously on a consistent basis how good he can be.
Further, on paper he would be a perfect fit for Milan in terms of what we’re currently lacking and how he would fit in the XI on the right wing, which has been a problematic role for us in recent times, and so it’s hoped that a breakthrough can be made.