Charles De Ketelaere is one of the most exciting young talents in European football and owing to his impressive performances for the Belgian club across the previous 12 months, the 20-year-old is believed to be on the radar of many top clubs.
The versatile midfielder is a key member of the Belgian champions’ set-up and has made a total of 84 appearances for this boyhood side and has also shown a penchant for scoring goals having notched 12 times for Club Brugge.
Owing to his evident ability, De Ketelaere has developed a slew of admirers in recent months, including Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
According to a new report by Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Pep Guardiola was left ‘impressed’ by the performance of Charles De Ketelaere during the recent Champions League clash between Club Brugge and Manchester City.
The report states that the Belgian intentional is on Manchester City’s ‘watch list’, although owing to the club’s vast scouting network, the Premier League champions monitoring the player’s development does not necessarily mean that they are intent on acquiring the player.
Whilst the report relays that City are keeping tabs on the development of De Ketelaere, due to Pep Guardiola already being in possession of an array of excellent midfielders, it seems unlikely that the club will pursue a move.
In addition, owing to the plethora of top-class midfielders at the club, it is plausible that De Ketelaere himself would be opposed to the move due to the likelihood that he would struggle for game time in Pep Guardiola’s side.
Consequently, the 20-year-old may instead be inclined to move to a club where he would be afforded regular time on the pitch such as Tottenham Hotspur or Leicester City, should he wish to ply his trade in the Premier League.
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