Charles De(mands) Ketelaere [Newsletter]

Where to begin? Take Charles De Ketelaere as an example. When we published our last newsletter, Real Sociedad appeared to be in pole position for the Belgian. Shortly after that, Atalanta swooped in and reached the finish line, but was it all for nothing? It’s safe to say that we have a lot to discuss in this week’s edition.

Let’s start with the mercato. Yunus Musah was announced by Milan on Friday last week and thus became the Rossoneri’s eighth signing of the summer. The question is, will there be more? It’s possible, such as a left-back and a midfielder, but right now Giorgio Furlani and Antonio D’Ottavio are very focused on the outgoing market.

On that note, we have to talk about De Ketelaere. Milan already have an agreement in place with Atalanta for a €3m paid loan, a €23m buy-out option, €4m in bonuses and a 10% resale clause (in our penultimate bonus article, we discussed what this means financially for the Rossoneri). When it seemed only the player’s yes was missing, things got complicated.

A long story short, De Ketelaere’s entourage have asked for very high commissions from Atalanta. Therefore, the negotiations have hit a standstill and it remains to be seen if the operation can be unlocked, but all of the Bergamo side’s work potentially could have been for nothing. The latter outcome, of course, would be far from ideal for Milan.

Moving on, Milan have played two friendly games since our last newsletter. The players returned to Milanello on Sunday and on Tuesday evening, they faced Monza in the first edition of Trofeo Silvio Berlusconi. As the scores were tied 1-1 after 90 minutes, courtesy of a Christian Pulisic goal, the game went to penalties and you could tell that the Rossoneri had been practising on that. They converted all of their six penalties and won 6-5, getting to lift the trophy.

The day after, however, Milan weren’t as successful. We purposely waited until today (Thursday) to send out the newsletter, thinking it would be good to include the Trento highlights since the game was behind closed doors. But oh how wrong we were. Albeit with a heavily rotated starting XI, the Rossoneri managed to lose 1-0 against the Serie C side.

So, what’s on the horizon for Milan now? They still have two friendlies to play this week, bundled together just like the previous two games, with the opponents being Tunisian side ES Sahel and Serie C side Novara. These are scheduled for Saturday at 18:00 CEST and Sunday at 11:00 respectively. Most likely, the first one will be broadcasted but not the second one.

Stefano Pioli and his men will then head into the final week of preparations ahead of the season opener against Bologna. They will have a couple more days compared to some of their rivals, given that the game is scheduled for Monday evening. Hopefully, they will start on a strong note.

News bulletin

➤ With regards to the transfer market, the main speculation seems to be surrounding the future of Rade Krunic who has interest from Fenerbahce. Possible replacements have been linked and Nicolas Dominguez appears to be the primary target. Stefano Pioli has also commented on the rumours.

➤ Milan may have gone without a win in the USA and needed penalties to beat Monza in the Trofeo Silvio Berlusconi, but Rafael Leao believes the Rossoneri are ‘stronger in all positions’ with Tijjani Reijnders sharing a similarly positive outlook.

➤ There were seven first-team players left out of the match against Monza, with two being due to injuries and the rest because new accommodation is being sought. The same players were also left out of the squad for the Trento clash. Fode Ballo-Toure was among them, and he could leave for Germany.

➤ Samuel Chukwueze spoke at his official presentation on Wednesday afternoon and the winger revealed the backstory of his move to Milan. He also praised his new teammate Yacine Adli for not only being a ‘very funny’ guy, but also for ‘always being there to help’.

➤ In Primavera news, Milan officially announced the official signing of Polish youngster Mateusz Skoczylas on a three-year contract. As one of the top-rated talents from the country, the hope is he can follow the path of his compatriot Dariusz Stalmach.

➤ Finally, an update on the stadium situation. The legislation has officially been passed which means the second tier of San Siro (and subsequently the stadium) cannot be demolished, which also means that plan for Milan and Inter to build a new home next to the existing structure is definitively over.

In case you missed it

Make sure to check out the latest podcast episode, and our latest bonus podcast in which the lads discuss Chukwueze’s arrival. You can also read our latest bonus article, which takes an in-depth look at three possible formations for Milan. Are you interested in a paid subscription? Read all about it here.