Assessing Charles De Ketelaere’s redemption season following disappointing AC Milan spell

There was a lot of excitement around Charles De Ketelaere’s move to AC Milan last season.  

After an excellent season for Club Brugge, De Ketelaere moved for a Belgian league record fee to a Milan side that had just won their first Scudetto in over a decade. 

He was supposed to usher a period of dominance for the Rossoneri, but sadly failed to live up to the hype in his first season in Serie A -  registering no goals and just a solitary assist. 

Manager Stefano Pioli was quick to move on, and was happy to let him go when Atalanta came calling for him in the summer. Gian Piero Gasperini was looking to replenish his squad after a disappointing season of their own, and the Belgian international has flourished under him. 

De Ketelaere has already played more minutes for the Bergamo side than he did in all of last season, and has the most successful dribbles, big chances created as well as the most goals and assists - with 16 in all competitions - in the Atalanta squad. 

Charles De Ketelaere Transfer Value - how much is he worth? 

As per FootballTransfer’s Player Valuation Model, De Ketelaere has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €25.4m. His reduced minutes last season saw his value take a significant hit from the all time high of €43m. 

Atalanta have reportedly agreed a €23m option to buy at the end of his loan spell, and their bet looks to have paid off as Belgian looks to have rediscovered the form that made him one of the most sought after young talents in the world. 

What does the data say about Charles De Ketelaere’s performances? 

At Atalanta, De Ketelaere predominantly plays either as one of the two forwards, or as one of the two behind the striker in their 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 shape. 

Coming back from a goal drought can be one of the hardest things for a forward to overcome. But it is clear to see why De Ketelaere has been more productive in front of goal.  

Gasperini’s use of the 22-year-old has seen his non-penalty xG almost double from last season. Not only is De Ketelaere taking more shots per 90 than he did last season, but his growing confidence and work in training has seen his shots on target % go up from a measly 15% last season to 50% this season. 

Apart from the remarkable uptick in his goals and assists, has there also been an improvement in his underlying numbers? 

Right from his days at Club Brugge, De Ketelaere was known for his proficiency on the ball, and he is continuing to show this.  

He is completing 25 passes per 90 including a high number of progressive passes, which is impressive given the advanced areas and tight spaces he operates in. But he is also making more key passes, with 2.26 per 90, making him one of the best forwards in the league at creating chances. 

De Ketelaere’s ball carrying continues to be one of his great strengths, as was the case during his time in Milan. His 1.94 successful take-ons and 3.94 progressive carries per 90 are among the best in the Italian top flight. 

But the lanky forward is now playing with more freedom, and his touches in the box and attacking third have gone up by almost 35% compared to last season. His teammates seem to have picked up on this and are getting him more involved in the play as shown by his progressive passes received figure going up from 5.56 to 10.1 per 90. 

There is no big change in his defensive numbers. The Club Brugge academy graduate  continues to be great at pressing and hassling the opposition in the final third, with over four ball recoveries and 1.94 tackles and interceptions per 90 putting him in the high 90th percentile of Serie A forwards. 

Just because a player fails to succeed at a certain club, doesn’t make them a bad player. And De Ketelaere’s redemption is a prime example of that.

This article was provided by FootballTransfers