Lazio president: Keita only wants Juventus move
Unsettled Lazio striker Keita Balde has his heart set on a move to Juventus this summer, the club's president revealed Saturday.
The Senegalese international, who has just 10 months remaining on his contract with the Biancocelesti, has attracted interest from various European sides and fielded official bids from AC Milan, West Ham, and Napoli.
But Lazio chief Claudio Lotito said Keita has refused the chance to join those teams in the hopes of securing a move to the six-time defending Serie A champion.
"There were three formal offers, all of them I can prove with documentation," Lotito told La Gazzetta dello Sport, as translated by Sky Sports. "Milan would've given us €35 million, West Ham €32 million, and Napoli €30 million.
"Keita and his agent replied they were not interested in any of the three, that the destination they wanted was Juventus. The player confirmed it to me in the pre-season training camp."
The problem is that Juventus has offered just €15 million, according to Lotito, representing half the value of Napoli's proposal.
There's no desire to sell Keita to the Bianconeri for that amount.
"You tell me his contract is running down and I risk losing him for nothing if I don't accept? Well, I say that is extortion and practically qualifies as a crime," Lotito added.
Manager Simone Inzaghi excluded the 22-year-old from his team sheet for last weekend's Supercoppa Italiana against Juventus, prompting Keita to claim he had suffered "psychological distress" from the decision to leave him out.
Keita finished last season with 16 goals in 31 appearances.