Napoli Have €45m Bid for Keita Balde Rejected by Monaco as Search for Winger Continues

Italian side Napoli have reportedly had a bid for Monaco star Keita Balde turned down.

That is according to RMC journalist Mohamed Bouhafsi, who claims that the French Champions have rebuffed a €45m offer for Balde, who only joined the club last summer.

Bouhafsi, who relayed the information via Twitter, is also reporting that the Serie A outfit are in search of a winger and have switch their attention to the 22-year-old Senegalese attacker.

He wrote: "AS Monaco refused in recent hours a €45m Napoli offer for Keita Balde. The Neapolitan club is looking for a winger. The Monegasque club is not a seller."

Balde signed for Monaco last year, moving from Lazio after a six-year spell which saw him impress during the last four years after becoming eligible to play in the first team.

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He is also a product of Barcelona's academy, but was sent away on loan as a punishment for playing a practical joke on a teammate when he was 15. He turned down the opportunity to return to Barca, as well as join Real Madrid, with his loan club owning a percentage of his playing rights.

Balde, born in Spain, opted to play for Senegal, where his father originates from.

This season, he has registered five goals and five assists in 23 appearances for Monaco. The Ligue 1 champions trail leaders Paris Saint-Germain by 10 points, though, and are in fourth place on the league table after 22 matches.

While Balde did soften the blow of losing Kylian Mbappe to PSG, there's still lots of improvement to be had if Monaco are to compete for the league title again.