De Sanctis denies Riccardi was ever part of transfer talks

De Sanctis was the representative from the sporting sector chosen to present Nikola Kalinic to the media on Thursday, as the Croatian striker held his first press conference since joining the Giallorossi on transfer deadline day.

During the press conference, De Sanctis was also asked about previous rumours that members of the club’s academy had been considered for sale during the summer – specifically Primavera midfielder Alessio Riccardi.

“We have never thought about letting Riccardi go; the same goes for [Zan] Celar, [Devid] Bouah and [Riccardo] Calafiori,” De Sanctis said. “Never.”

He added: “If the club has within its academy system young players of great potential, then we will look to work closely with them to find the right path for them to improve and develop as much as they can.”