Liverpool linked with highly-rated Belgian starlet De Ketelaere

Stuart Hodge

22 Oct 2021 10:47 BST
3 min read

Club Brugge wonderkid De Ketelaere talks up Milan possibility — © ProShots

It seems like just a matter of time before Charles De Ketelaere ends up making a huge move and Liverpool are the latest club to have kept close watch on the Club Brugge star.

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De Ketlaere, who grew up supporting his hometown team, is seen as the heir to Kevin De Bruyne’s throne for Belgium and appears more than equipped to live up to that huge billing, and is being monitored closely by scouts from all of the top clubs across Europe.

Manchester City and Real Madrid also have concrete interest, as do Arsenal.

So who is De Ketelaere, and what makes him so special?

What position does De Ketelaere play in?

De Ketelaere is most naturally deployed as an attacking midfielder, a playmaking number 10, but has been playing as a central striker this season and has adapted comfortably to the role.

He can also play wide on the left as a winger, and is left-footed.

How good is De Ketelaere?

De Ketelaere has chalked up almost 100 appearances for Club Brugge, one of the biggest clubs in Belgium, and already has two Belgian title medals to his name after breaking onto the scene as an 18-year-old a couple of seasons ago.

By the end of his first season, he was already anointed “Prince Charles” in Belgian football and that got upgraded to “King Charles” when he scored a dramatic late winner against Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League group stages a year ago this week.

💙🖤 The moment Charles De Ketelaere secured Club Brugge's victory on matchday 1...#UCL pic.twitter.com/7gce4ZigXs
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 28, 2020

Tall but elegant, sleek and fleet-footed as well as being armed with great vision and pace, De Ketelaere has all of the attributes to go to the very top.

What clubs are interested in De Ketelaere?

Real Madrid and Manchester City seem to be at the head of the queue for De Ketelaere, but all of the top clubs have watched him at some point.

It seems pretty much certain he will get a move to one of the true giants of European football.

When does De Ketelaere's contract expire?

De Ketelaere is tied down by Club Brugge until 2024 and you would expect the Jan Breydel Stadium club to cash in whilst he still has at least a couple of years on his contract.