Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly bid big for the Lazio player but he has no intention of moving to North London.
According to Italian website Il Messaggero Tottenham Hotspur had a bid of between £26.4million and £30.8million accepted by Lazio for winger Keite Balde, only for the player to turn down the chance to move to North London.
Tottenham certainly need new wingers this summer as they bid to strengthen their squad in key areas before challenging on four fronts again next season.
With just 12 months remaining on his Lazio contract, Keita looks set to move on this summer, but it seems he has no intention of heading to the Premier League despite Mauricio Pochettino’s alleged interest.
The 22-year-old left winger scored a very impressive 16 goals and provided six assists in 34 matches for Lazio last season, and his total of 37 goals and 27 assists in 137 outings speaks of a player who is now reaching another level.
The Senegal international would have gone down a storm at Tottenham. However he is reportedly holding out for a move to Juventus, meaning Spurs may have to look elsewhere for the exciting wide men they require.
They have fallen short in that regard in recent seasons, with Clinton N’Jie and Georges-Kevin N’Koudou failing to hit the ground running and the former already sent packing.
If the report of the Tottenham bid is true, it means they are willing to bid big for the right additions.
The trick now is to convince them that Pochettino’s project is worth investing in.
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