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- Wolves' loan bid for Dia rejected
- Player angry at Salernitana
- Out of squad for Lecce game
WHAT HAPPENED? On the day of the transfer deadline, there were rumours that Wolves had made a bid for the centre-forward, but it was promptly rejected. This apparently angered Dia, who responded angrily and was later cut out of the group by manager Paulo Sousa and the team before Sunday's Serie A matchup with Lecce.
WHAT THEY SAID: Salernitana's sporting director, Morgan De Sanctis opened up about the reports that Wolves had made a late swoop for Dia: “The last few days of the transfer market were the most complicated. It was not our intention, as we had already closed our business. They were chaotic hours because someone wanted to do things right at the end. As for Dia, I wish to send a message, which is that we demand respect for Salernitana, for myself, for the history of the club and its fans.
“We received a phone call late on Thursday night with talk of a loan with the option to buy for figures that, if I were to make public, would cause a diplomatic incident. None of their directors contacted me personally. This affected Dia. I expect the player to realise how much we have given him, because we want a rapport of reciprocal respect and hope we can continue like the previous 12 months together.
“I will say that I, the President and all of Salernitana will not forget what Wolverhampton did. Dia was not called up because in his attitude he showed that he is not ready to play against Lecce. You can interpret that however you wish. That game will be a battle and we need people prepared to battle with us. His attitude seemed to be going in the opposite direction.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Salernitana just recently exercised their option to purchase Dia for €12 million after having him on loan from Villarreal throughout the previous campaign. The Senegal international has a contract with his current club through 2026 and has scored 17 goals in 36 appearances.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DIA? While the striker is out of the squad for the next game against Lecce, the club management and the player will likely sit down to find a solution during the international break as they will be eager to have Dia back in action.