Legendary former AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi has claimed that Charles de Ketelaere, who was targeted by Leeds United in the summer, is 'afraid to play' since completing his switch from Club Brugge.
De Ketelaere is still chasing his first goal for the club and has had to settle for a place on the bench in his last three Serie A matches. Sacchi, who won the European Cup in back-to-back seasons with I Rossoneri in 1989 and 1990 respectively, believes the pressure is getting to the young Belgian international.
"These days, he is a confused boy. You have to be patient. He's afraid to play. He comes in with anxiety of having to prove his worth. I hope can start to show his qualities," Sachi explained to Gazetta dello Sport.
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Leeds were involved in a lengthy transfer saga with AC Milan during the summer as both clubs battled for de Ketelaere's signature. The Whites tabled a £33.5 million bid but the 21-year-old made his intentions clear that the San Siro was his preferred destination.
AC Milan took some time to meet Brugge's demands but De Ketelaere eventually signed a five-year deal with the Italian heavyweights.
Despite Leeds offering more, his €35 million transfer fee made him the most expensive Belgian export in history. AC Milan currently sit third in Serie A and trail league leaders Napoli by six points after their surprise 2-1 defeat against Torino.
After his unveiling, De Ketelaere explained that it was the 'project' at AC Milan that persuaded him to choose I Rossoneri over Leeds.
“The last few weeks have been difficult," De Ketelaere said during his unveiling at AC Milan. "You know what happened, I have always expressed my desire to my agents to go to Milan. I had to give something up, but the most important thing for me was to get here.
“For me it was an honour to have spoken with him [Paolo Maldini]. He is a legend of this club, but even now he has an important role. The Milan project was also fundamental in my choice, I was very attracted to the project."
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