The agent of Inter Milan winger Keita Balde has revealed that his client plumped for a move to Serie A despite interest from Tottenham during the summer.
The Senegalese international, who scored his fourth League goal of the season in a 1-0 over Empoli at the weekend, joined Milan on loan from Monaco.
Tottenham, meanwhile, became the first club since the introduction of the summer window in 2003 not to sign a single player. Manager Mauricio Pochettino has done a remarkable job in bringing his squad forward since, but Balde’s agent, Roberto Calenda, has revealed they were interested in the 23-year-old.
"Inter was immediately receptive once the possibility of closing the operation was understood,” Calenda told Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport.
“There were other interested teams. Since last January, Napoli had moved. We also received calls from Tottenham. But faced with the possibility of Inter, Keita had no doubts, he immediately made his wishes understood.”
Balde may have signed on a loan deal from France but it was with a view to making the move permanent, and his agent says there should be nothing stopping that from happening.
“Inter will find a way to redeem the player,” he added. “There is time until the end of May. €34million are needed, the total price is €40million. But it is a figure that falls within the parameters for a player of that age, with his numbers in terms of goals and assists. If he does what he has to do, there will be no doubt about his permanence at Inter.”
