Keita Balde: "I Was Very Close To Coming Back To Lazio This Summer. I Haven’t Found A Family Environment Like The One At Lazio. Given My Character, I Need A Club Like That To Perform At My Best."

Former Lazio striker Keita Balde revealed he was on the verge of returning to the Italian capital this summer, but the move ultimately fell through despite his ongoing support for Lazio.

Keita Balde, who began his career at Barcelona's La Masia academy before joining Lazio in 2011, quickly made a name for himself with the senior team after two years with the Primavera side. Lazio sold him to Monaco in 2017 for €30 million.

The versatile forward later played for Inter Milan, Cagliari, Sampdoria, and Spartak Moscow. This summer, he signed with Turkish club Sivaspor on a free transfer. In a recent interview, the 29-year-old confirmed he was close to rejoining Lazio.

"I was very close to coming back to Lazio this summer. The possibility was more real than ever, but as we know, transfers in football don’t always materialize. I would have been very happy to return, and I’m not closing the door on it because it’s the team closest to my heart," Balde told LazioNews24.

Balde also acknowledged that he struggled with consistency at previous clubs, which affected his performance.

"I lacked the consistency I had at Lazio. After moving to Monaco and then to Inter, I didn’t have the chance to settle. Injuries, particularly at Inter, disrupted my progress," he said.

He also noted that he never experienced the same family-like atmosphere elsewhere that he had with Lazio.

"I haven’t found a family environment like the one at Lazio. Given my character, I need a club like that to perform at my best. I’ve always followed them with great passion," Balde added.