<
>

Lazio will keep Balde this summer, De Vrij not for sale - club president

Lazio president Claudio Lotito says the club would be happy to retain Keita Balde this summer, while also ruling out the sale of Stefan de Vrij.

Reports in Italy this week said West Ham were close to an agreement for Balde, who is out of contract next summer, while Inter and Juventus have also been linked to a move.

But Lotito on Friday said Lazio would not be bullied into a deal and denied having received any offers from other Italian clubs.

"Keita won't end up like [Goran] Pandev," Lotito said of the striker who won a legal dispute against Lazio in 2009 after the president froze him out of the squad. "Thanks to me, cases like this don't exist anymore.

"If there's nothing new then he'll remain a Lazio player and [coach Simone] Inzaghi will use him as he sees fit.

"I haven't received offers from Inter or Juventus, but they have come from abroad."

Lotito also said De Vrij would stay with Lazio despite links to Liverpool and Juventus.

"De Vrij is not for sale," he said. "The team has been strengthened and we're ready."

Meanwhile, Lazio signed attacking midfielder Davide Di Gennaro from Cagliari to a three-year deal on Friday.

The 29-year-old AC Milan academy graduate made 20 Serie A appearances for Cagliari last season, scoring twice, a year after helping the Sardinians win promotion.

Bosnian midfielder Senad Lulic, who last December was handed a 20-day ban for making racially abusive comments about then-Roma defender Antonio Rudiger, was also appointed captain on Friday.

The 31-year-old succeeds Lucas Biglia in the role following the Argentinian's departure for AC Milan.

Information from PA Sport was used in this story.