There has been a bizarre twist in the career of West Ham United target Keita Balde Diao.
Former Lazio attacker Diao has been linked with West Ham for the last two seasons.
Indeed Tuttomercatoweb released two reports back in November claiming the Hammers and Wolves were hoping to bring the speedy Senegal international to the Premier League.
The former Barcelona youth player joined Monaco from Lazio instead but was soon loaned out to Inter Milan.
Inter snub Keita
His time at the San Siro has been hot and cold. Diao has scored four goals in 21 games but has failed to establish himself with the Serie A giants.
Inter were still believed to be ready to make the move permanent, thus ending any hopes West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini might have of renewing his interest this summer.
But there has been a strange twist in the tale after reports in Italy claimed Inter have pulled the plug following a prank which went wrong.
Prank costs Hammers target his dream move
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (Football Italia), Keita was the victim of a prank gone wrong by satirical TV programme Le Iene on the eve of Inter’s match against Sampdoria back in February.
The newspaper writes the episode saw the Hammers target trapped in a hotel and forced to run away.
The show was never aired due lifelong Inter fan Keita refusing to sign the release.
Bullet dodged or second chance for West Ham?
In his dash to get away the £25million-rated 24-year-old aggravated a thigh injury. That kept him out for another six weeks and saw Inter chiefs lose patience.
It means one of two things for West Ham.
Either they dodged an expensive bullet in the first place.
Or the club now has a second chance to finally bring Keita to East London for a reunion with his old Lazio teammate Felipe Anderson.
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