Belgian wonderkid Charles De Ketelaere advised against move to Chelsea
According to Het Laatste Nieuws (h/t Express), Club Brugge and Belgian youngster, Charles De Ketelaere have been warned against making a move to Premier League giants Chelsea as it might hamper his development.
The 20-year-old is seen as the next big thing in Belgium and is already being compared to Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.
The 20-year-old made his debut a couple of seasons ago after impressing in the youth academy. He made his senior debut in September 2019 and went on to make eight starts among 13 Belgian Pro League appearances in the same season. The youngster has so far featured 90 times for the Club Brugge first team, scoring 12 goals and assisting 14 more.
The youngster has had a fantastic start to this season as well showcasing what he can do both in the domestic league but also in the Champions League where he has not looked out of place. The 20-year-old has five goals and three assists in 19 games played.
His growth is such that Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has already given him opportunities twice at the international stage. DeKetelaere has already gone on to score his first senior goal as well.
Seeing his progress, experienced former scout Urbain Haesert believes moving to Stamford Bridge at this stage won’t be good for his career and he should think twice before making any such move.
“Whether a departure is a good thing, I doubt it. If you go to a big club now, you should see the names there. Then tell me in whose place you are going to play.”
Haesert believes that it is imperative for a budding young player to develop further. The likes of Mohamed Salah and De Bruyne too failed to make much of an impact at Stamford Bridge. It is not easy for even the best to make the cut at Chelsea.
“My principle has always been that you are only a real first division player after two successful years at the highest level. Charles is a very big talent, but he still has to develop.”
More Chelsea News
- Sean Dyche responds to Thomas Tuchel’s ‘lucky’ Burnley comment
- Transfer News: Chelsea keen on signing Napoli striker Victor Osimhen
- Chelsea join Real Madrid in race to sign Fulham’s youngster Fabio Carvalho
De Ketelaere is surely bound to go places but will surely have to plan his next move very wisely. Whether that will be to Chelsea or not remains to be seen.