Leeds United had the opportunity to recruit brilliant Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere in the summer of 2022, but instead went to AC Milan, where he battled before becoming a star in Atalanta’s Europa League-winning squad.

Leeds’ relegation from the Premier League in the 22/23 season prompted numerous ‘what ifs’ from the management, ownership, and playing team.

What if Leeds found a better replacement for Marcelo Bielsa? What if they truly supported him? What if Jesse Marsch’s signings went better? The last issue is that Leeds lost two significant Premier League-quality players and did not adequately replace them.

Leeds missed out on Charles De Ketelaere and originally appeared to have ‘dodged a bullet’.

Leeds had a £33.5 million offer on the table with Club Brugge for their outstanding Belgian attacker Charles De Ketelaere, which Andrea Radrizzani described as “special” and “our icing on the cake”.

The midfielder was unconvinced by Elland Road and instead went to AC Milan, which you couldn’t blame him for, while Leeds hunted for a late signing in that summer window, landing on Willy Gnonto after many other targets fell through.

Leeds fans were eager to follow De Ketelaere’s development in Milan, but he struggled to find his footing, making 40 appearances in his first season with only one assist and no goals.

Unsurprisingly, he was viewed as a bullet dodged by many Leeds fans, who were relieved that the club would not have to spend what would have been a club record amount on the teenage attacker.