Atalanta completes permanent De Ketelaere signing
Charles De Ketelaere has completed his move from AC Milan to Atalanta after the UEFA Europa League champion signed the Belgian on a permanent deal.
Atalanta confirmed the transfer after activating a buy option included in the 23-year-old's loan deal, with De Ketelaere joining in a reported move worth up to €24 million ($38.8 million).
De Ketelaere failed to impress in his debut season in Italy after joining the Rossoneri from Club Brugge, but found form after a season-long loan deal to Bergamo in the 2023-2024 campaign.
The forward helped Gian Piero Gasperini's side to a top-four finish in Serie A, as well as lifting the UEFA Europa League trophy for Atalanta's first-ever success on the European stage.
Only Ademola Lookman and Gianluca Scamacca provided more direct goal contributions across all competitions than De Ketelaere's 25 last term, both with 26.
Gasperini unlocked a side to the former Milan man that the Rossoneri failed to find, too, with De Ketelaere creating more open-play chances, 78, than any other team-mate across all competitions.
That form has brought a permanent reward for De Ketelaere, who is playing at for UEFA Euro 2024 with Belgium in Germany, where the Red Devils will face Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine in Group E.
