Official | Former Monaco striker Keita Baldé joins Serie A side Monza | OneFootball

Keita Baldé (29) is on his way back to Serie A after a short spell in Turkey. The former AS Monaco striker has joined Monza for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign.

During his spell in Russia at Spartak Moscow, the Senegalese international was suspended for a violation of anti-doping control in Italy when he was a player at Cagliari.

That suspension caused him to miss the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for Senegal, though he was a member of the side that captured the Africa Cup of Nations that same year.

After beginning his senior career at Lazio, Baldé came to the Principality in August 2017 on a five-year contract for a reported transfer fee of €30m.

Les Monégasques were the reigning Ligue 1 champions when he arrived, and he made some brief apearances with the club over the course of two seasons. They finished as runners-up in the Coupe de la Ligue in 2017-18 and wound up second in the 2018 Trophée de Champions tournament.

He saw little action while at Monaco and spent two seasons on loan to Serie A sides Inter Milan and Sampdoria before moving to Cagliari in late August 2021. He helped them capture the Trofeo Sardegna in 2021.

Baldé joins Monza with the club eight points below the Serie A relegation line after 24 matchdays, netting the second-fewest goal in the Italian top-flight (21). They have lost 10 of their last 11 matches across all competitions, including a 5-1 drubbing against Baldé’s former side Lazio last Sunday.

In 185 Serie A appearances, Baldé has 41 goals, the third-most by an African player in that competition, with only George Weah’s 46 and Victor Osimhen’s (26) tally of 65 above him.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre