There are suggestions from Belgium that clarity over Charles De Ketelaere's future may be nearing, as the Belgian was left out of Club Brugge's friendly fixture against FC Kobenhavn on Saturday. The 21-year-old is subject to bids from both Leeds United and AC Milan and both clubs appear to have stepped up their interest in recent days.
Leeds are said to have the highest bid on the table currently, but reports have made it clear that the player's preferred option is a move to the Italian capital. It appears that the Whites' best chance of winning De Ketelaere's signature is if Milan fail to offer the asking price Brugge desire.
Football Italia have stated that Milan now plan to match the reported €30million bid that the Whites have made. Should this be the case, it appears likely that the Italian club would be able to close the deal, with the player keen to move to the Italian champions, who can also offer Champions League football.
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The report suggests that the expected new bid from Milan could be the reason why the young Belgian was absent from the friendly fixture, saying: "It’s unclear if the 21-year-old was unavailable due to physical concerns or if it was simply a tactical decision considering his current status on the transfer market. Rumours from Belgian suggest it’s the latter."
Should the Whites lose out to Milan in this transfer battle, they are said to have back up options that they can move to activate. It is unclear who those players are, but it appears that was the case when Leeds moved quickly to sign Luis Sinisterra from Feyenoord when Cody Gakpo was thought to be the primary target for a new winger.
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