Everton join chase for Keita Balde

Lazio striker Keita Balde has been drawing plenty of interest from multiple teams. The quick forward is a product of the famed Barcelona youth system at La Masia, and has not agreed a contract extension with the Aquile and was for a short time kept out of the squad over the summer.

Italian website CalcioMercato.com reported earlier today that Everton have made preliminary inquiries to the striker’s availability. They join AC Milan, Inter Milan and possibly even Juventus in the chase for the forward.

Lazio President Claudio Lotito will want to keep hold of the Senegal international. He has been particularly effective in his partnership with Ciro Immobile, leading the Biancocelesti to 4th position in the table.

The price range is expected to be somewhere in between 21.4-25.7million (€25-30 million) which is not unrealistic in the current market for a 21-year-old who still has a season and a half left on his contract.

With Ronald Koeman’s current interest in Memphis Depay, another left-sided attacker, it’s likely that Everton will be making a move for at least one of the two during the upcoming transfer window.

Keita has 14 goals and 17 assists in 89 Serie A games, with a career total of 35 goals and 24 assists in 134 matches at all levels. However, just a cursory glance at his characteristics is enough to fill Toffees with dread.

Let’s see what happens in January.