Italian club Virtus Bologna have reportedly rejected a lucrative offer from Greek giants Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, worth more than €450,000 ( roughly Rwf745m), for Malian centre Aliou Diarra.

The 24-year-old, who previously featured for APR in the Rwanda Basketball League (RBL), has established himself as one of the standout big men in the EuroLeague this season, attracting interest from several top European clubs.

Panathinaikos are among the teams keen to secure his services, with reports indicating that the Greek side made an approach worth approximately €450,000 in an attempt to lure him away from Bologna.

However, Virtus Bologna are understood to have turned down the proposal, showing little willingness to part ways with one of their key performers this season.

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Diarra has been impressive in the EuroLeague, averaging 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He is also among the competition's top performers in Performance Index Rating (PIR), sitting just outside the top 10 with an average of 17.4.

Before making his mark in European basketball, Diarra enjoyed impressive spells with APR, featuring in both the domestic league and the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

During the 2025 BAL season, he emerged as one of APR's standout players, making significant contributions at both ends of the court before an injury cut his campaign short.

His continued rise in European basketball has now placed him on the radar of some of the continent's biggest clubs, underlining the progress made since his time in Rwanda.