16 goals in 33 matches, 6 assists, and the maintenance obtained without trembling too much. Boulaye Dia has won the hearts of Salernitana fans. The Senegalese striker had come there to revive himself, since Villarreal did not seem to be counting on him. Direction Italy therefore, in the form of a loan with purchase option for €12 million that Salernitana hastened to raise in view of the player’s performance.
But now, the fairy tale has ended since the beginning of September. The transfer window has passed, and Wolverhampton’s last minute offensive has left its mark. The English club in fact made an offer at the very end of the transfer window, in the form of a paying loan with a purchase obligation of €18 million. Boulaye Dia was seduced, he who dreams of England and who had previously rejected an approach from RC Lens. The sporting director of Salernitana, Morgan De Sanctis, had called a press conference to communicate this offer and to regret the way of doing things by Wolves, who did not contact him directly.
The player did not return to Italy
This episode strained relations between Boulaye Dia and his club. Frustrated by the situation, the 26-year-old striker missed two training sessions and was therefore sidelined for the trip to Lecce on September 3. Danilo Iervolino, the president of Salernitana, tried to clear the land. “We know that a club like ours must eventually part with its big names to finance itself, and be good at finding young people of the same value. However, we believe that there are internal rules to respect. We are kind, affectionate, but that does not give anyone permission to behave incorrectly. Dia is a great player, I will talk to him as soon as he returns from Senegal. »
The international break offered a breath of fresh air. But Dia cut short his presence at the Teranga Lions gathering, officially due to a knee problem. The Senegalese federation announced a 14-day absence, which surprised the Italian club, which had carried out medical tests on its player before leaving for the selection. Dia was expected by his club on Tuesday to take additional tests, but he did not show up. He visited France and discussed personal problems.
The situation therefore continues to become tense, and fans appear unhappy. Just like coach Paulo Sousa, who will not be able to count on his star scorer for the next meetings. Dia had time to score a goal and give an assist during the first two days (two draws) and in his absence, the team lost in Lecce. In any case, there is not much to be gained from letting the situation deteriorate, both for the club and for the player.
