Report: Leeds give up on De Ketelaere, want Kalimuendo deal instead
Leeds United have thrown in the towel in the race to sign Charles De Ketelaere and are now prioritising a move for Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to a report from Calciomercato.
Signing a new forward appears to be one of the last tasks for Victor Orta this summer. And it seemed that the strongest play had been made trying to bring De Ketelaere to Elland Road.
In fact, Calciomercato reports that Leeds have made a £31.3 million bid for the Belgian. However, offering an amount Club Brugge will accept has not been the issue.
Reports have previously suggested that the 21-year-old does not want to move to Elland Road. Instead, he wishes to join AC Milan.
The Rossoneri plan to make their highest bid for the forward imminently. However, they have no intention of offering as much as Leeds. Their bid will be worth £25.4 million. And they have no plans to increase it further.
Leeds are obviously offering more. However, Calciomercato reports that they have now thrown in the towel. And they are pursuing another name.
They are stepping up their interest in Paris Saint-Germain forward Kalimuendo.
Reports have claimed that Leeds have already bid £17 million for the youngster this summer. PSG value the 20-year-old at £18.8 million following his impressive loan spell with Lens.
Leeds give up on De Ketelaere and focus on Kalimuendo
It will disappoint many that De Ketelaere looks unlikely to end up at Leeds. He looks to be an incredibly special talent. And clearly, the Whites are prepared to break their transfer record to sign him.
Of course, De Ketelaere’s stance will sound familiar to many. Leeds are dealing with a similar situation with Raphinha and his reported desire to join Barcelona.
With the season looming on the horizon, supporters will hope that they experience nothing like these issues when it comes to pursuing Kalimuendo.
