With Inter Milan now on the lookout for a new manager following Luciano Spalletti’s exit, the Serie A side could also be in line to lose players before their new manager even arrives.
Former Italy and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is widely tipped to be the man coming in to replace Spalletti, and the fiery former midfielder could wield the axe in pre-season.
With talisman Mauro Icardi committing himself to the club prior to Spalletti’s departure, the incoming boss is unlikely to make Keita Balde’s loan move permanent.
The Senegalese international has failed to live up to expectation during his season long loan at the San Siro in 2018-19, albeit if those expectations were a little unrealistic for the 24-year old.
Balde has shown promise in the early stages his career, with 16 Serie A goals in 2016-17 securing a move from Lazio to the then French champions AS Monaco.
However his time in France has been low key and disrupted by injuries, with just eight goals in all competitions in 2017-18, meaning Leonardo Jardim was happy to loan him out to Inter for the 2018-19 campaign.
But it has been a similar story of under performance with the Nerazzurri, and now he is stuck in no mans land with parent club Monaco looking to trim their wage bill after a disastrous season.
Five goals in a side that has qualified for the Champions League has done little to convince the powers that be of his talents, with Icardi, Ivan Perisic and Lautaro Martinez all outscoring him.
They will want to recoup the majority of the €30m they spent on the Catalonian-born striker back in 2016, and will be looking for in the region of €22-26m for him.
With Inter increasingly unlikely to take up their purchase option on him, he could be line for a Premier League move, as Monaco look to balance the books.
Wolves and West Ham are both strongly reported to be keen on him, with the balance seemingly in favour of Nuino Santo’s side, who can offer him Europa League football, unlike Monaco.
With a contract up until 2022, Monaco will likely have to take whatever is offered if they want to shift him off their wage bill, and any interested parties will be well aware of this.
Former Valencia Santo will be confident of bringing the best from Balde, within a tactical system that brings the best out of him at Molineux.
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