KEITA READY TO LEAVE LAZIO, MILAN PREPARES OFFER

AC Milan is preparing to sign Keita Balde Diao, Lazio talented midfielder with Keita also having expressed his intention to leave the club.

As the January transfer window opens next year, AC Milan’s coach, Vincenzo Montella, hopes to make some new additions to his squad, especially in the positions of a centre midfielder and a winger.

He has also expressed readiness to part with Carlos Bacca, in order to make sure the signing of Keita is successful.

There is a sort of strained relationship with Keita and Lazio, and during the club’s Christmas dinner recently, he had walked out at the time president Claude Lotito was getting ready to deliver his speech.

For Keita who would feature in January’s African Cup of Nations, he has been hoping for a significant increase in his pay, but it seems like Lazio will not be willing to offer him anything more than €1.5 million a season.

Keita hopes to invoke the Article 27 in his contract, which allows him to make his move out of his club one year before the expiration of his contract with them.

However, the 21-year old may not be allowed to make the move for anything less than 25 million euros and with the fall through of Milan’s sale deal, Milan lacks the funds to purchase any new players.

This could see then ship off Carlos Bacca to any club that proposes a decent offer for his services. Since 2013, Keita has been a major part of the Biancocelesti first-team set-up. This was after he came through the club’s youth system.

However, after failing to show-up for pre-season training, and having been accused of faking an injury, the relationship between him and the team has strained further, with the officials not happy with the way he is behaving.