AC Milan do not currently consider Charles De Ketelaere to be on the market but they could reconsider things if they get an offer they can’t refused, according to Carlo Pellegatti.
De Ketelaere was Milan’s statement signing in the 2022 summer transfer window after the Scudetto win and it would be fair to say that he has so far not hit the ground running, with zero goals and just one assist to his name.
Milan are expected to undergo changes in their attacking department ahead of next season and one of the roles they are expected to strengthen in is the centre-forward position, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Divock Origi and Ante Rebić all failing in their auditions to be Olivier Giroud’s back-up.
Journalist Carlo Pellegatti spoke on his YouTube about the potential for Milan to offload De Ketelaere in the summer and in particular the idea of a loan swap involving Gianluca Scamacca, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.
“Colleagues at TeleLombardia are speculating about an exchange of loans – and we can agree given the similar price – between Charles De Ketelaere and Gianluca Scamacca,” he said.
“As far as I know, I have my sources, the Belgian – barring unforeseen circumstances – Milan do not want to sell, but in the face of interesting offers you can rethink to the situation.
“But the exchange of loans leaves me doubtful, I don’t see Milan relying on Giroud and Scamacca, we need a centre-forward of greater international caliber, or with a more concrete potential.
“We don’t know what will become of Origi and we need a certainty and maybe another one. Here, Scamacca could be the third striker in place of the former Liverpool player. It’s a hypothesis, but it seems unlikely to me that De Ketelaere can leave, and Scamacca doesn’t give me all these guarantees.”
Lol, what is this?! Scamacca, the Italy international, is not going to be a backup; if Milan were able to afford him he’d be a statement signing expected to lead the line and take over from Ground. Short of Juve or Napoli, he won’t be a backup anywhere.
I was going to say that this seems like the result of a fever dream by Pellegatti, but then he is suggesting Scamacca would be the third choice striker…and then I do another 180 and realise that it must be the result of a fever dream.
The Italian perception of Italian players is bizarre. He’d crow about signing some overpriced bench warmer from an EPL club (irony appreciated) or some player scoring goals in France who he has NEVER SEEN PLAY (these last 3 words are why I’m okay with the irony).
Man do people forget things quickly. 16 goals for a mid to bottom tier side as a 22/23 year old 195cm player. At that size, physical maturity takes longer so he was only just starting to enter his prime years.
He has played 80 minutes in the EPL in 2023 across 2 appearances of 68 and 14 minutes. He has scored 1 goal (being the game he started).
West Ham plays Liverpool tomorrow so things might change but Scamacca has not been in the squad for 5 games now and has not been listed as injured.
It is a very hard thing to score goals when you are not on the field and not even in the named squad. If Scamacca could manage the feat he would be worth 1 billion Euros.
The issue is that his move to West Ham may already have destroyed his career.
This is the problem with these transfers.
We’re talking top athletes here they simply cannot afford to mess about with months spent sitting on benches or having their development interrupted by moving from club to club like some kind of causal bar worker.
There are so many random things that go into players finding success: the right moment, the right manager, the right tactics, the right team mates, the right physical conditions, the right form.
These conditions are so hard to recreate which is why when a player finds a club with the right conditions they need to stay put.
Even Messi never reproduced the same form outside of Barcelona when he played for Argentina or after he moved to PSG. There’s only a handful of players who have managed to reproduce world class form at multiple clubs – Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo being two.
De Ketelaere and Scamacca are two more victims of the farcical transfer market. They’re both young and maybe they will find the right conditions elsewhere.
Unfortunately strikers are something clubs cannot take risks with and so I’d prefer for Milan to stick with experienced strikers who have been there and done it, rather than taking a punt on a player who may have lost his mojo forever.
I think you’ve articulated the position well. There is definitely something to it but I do not think we’re ruining players. I think we’re just stalling the realisation of potential.
Tied in with this is that sometimes we overrate players so when the potential is realised we may be underwhelmed. I’m thinking here of Paqueta who I sometimes read here is someone who has proven our decision to move him on wrong.
I suspect that sometimes the stigma of the bad deal players results in a bit of a glass ceiling for players.
Ultimately, I think you just back then talent where it’s objectively proven. I’m thinking of few examples such as Vlahovic and Scamacca who have demonstrated pretty clear technical ability in addition to a high level of performance in a top league. Contrast this with Jovic, for example, who who has technical and physical limitations in keeping with uncertain form. He didn’t belong at Real Madrid.
I also don’t think CDK and Scamacca are all that similar either as examples. Scamacca has high level performance in a top league, and has a poor record in the Premiership due to a single stretch either side of which his record is in keeping with what he did in Italy. There appears to be something else there, friction between him and Moyes. I look at Zaniolo in much the same way. Massive, proven talent that has stalled. CDK was never more than a 15m we overpaid for and for who the jump to a big league with the price tag was too soon. It is far from clear to me that he is an EPL or Serie A standard attacking player (which I’d say are the hardest leagues for attacking players).
I like the idea
Lol. Who need giroud back up. All you need are young and prolific striker that can compete with giroud and make giroud benched .More better if that striker can score 20 goals +++ every season with AC Milan . Not just 10 goals +++
I agree one thing with Journalist Carlo Pellegatti that Scamaca is not the striker we need.
And i do not agree with him to keep CDK anymore,Keeping him decreases hip price and Demand.
Rebic and Origi should be sent out immiditely when june begings or even their Contracts should be Terminated.
The 3.5m and 4M of their Salaries 8 Players from New Singnings with prospects
CDK will go his way just the same like paqueta 😉 need to have so much more playminutes