Monaco forward Keita Balde has informed the club of his intent on securing a return to Inter in the ongoing transfer window. According to French outlet Foot Mercato (via SempreInter), the player wants to return to the Giuseppe Meazza, where he spent a decent loan spell in 2018/19.
Keita is in the final year of his contract in the French principality and could be on the move this summer. The 26-year-old has been a peripheral figure at Monaco since joining the club in 2017, having spent the last season on loan at Sampdoria. Balde was a bit-part player in Genoa but still added seven goals and two assists to his name.
After making it clear he wants to rejoin the Nerazzurri, Keita is hopeful the clubs could strike an agreement over a transfer fee that should be well within Inter’s price range.
His potential return to Lombardy has received a massive boost following Simone Inzaghi’s appointment. The duo worked together at Lazio for two years, with the Italian tactician getting the best out of the Senegal international. Indeed, Keita’s blistering showings under Inzaghi earned him a €30million move to the Stade Louis II in 2017.
Inter already brought in Hakan Calhanoglu, who ran down his contract at Milan. However, Inzaghi needs more depth in the front third to improve his side’s hopes of defending the Serie A crown. Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku are indispensable, but Alexis Sanchez’s future at the Giuseppe Meazza is up in the air.
With Inter set to compete in the Champions League group stage, Inzaghi needs more options in the attacking department to keep his team competitive on multiple fronts. Keita is familiar with the environment and may not need much time to readapt to the new surroundings.