Lazio president Claudio Lotito claims that Keita Balde turned down a move to West Ham this summer.
In an impassioned interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lotito said the striker’s preferred destination was Juventus but he accused the Italian champions of “extortion” after they submitted what he believed to be a derisory offer for the player.
The 22-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season, was dropped for Lazio’s Italian Super Cup win over Juve.
Lotito insists he has been offered a new deal by the club and rejected three moves away this summer, while saying the Hammers launched a €32 million bid for the player.