Senegal national team striker Boulaye Dia has arrived in Italy to complete his loan move to Serie A side Salernitana from La Liga club Villarreal according to reports. The 25-year-old will join the Campania based side for the 2022-23 season on a one year loan for €1 million and Salernitana has the option to exercise a €12 million purchase option at any point during the loan to acquire Dia permanently.
Dia, born in France, was part of Senegal’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad where he made six appearances in Cameroon and has continued to feature in Aliou Cissé’s squad, also making five appearances and scoring two goals during Senegal’s successful 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. He joined Villarreal for €12 million before the 2021-22 season but never fully established himself as a starter in manager Unai Emery’s team despite making 34 appearances and scoring 7 goals and providing 5 assists. The move to Salernitana figures to give Dia plenty of regular playing time ahead of Senegal’s World Cup appearance in Qatar.
