Radja Nainggolan made the most striking transfer in 1B this winter. The ex-Red Devil signed with Patro Eisden and has now spoken remarkably openly about his wages and his motivation to play football again.
The most impressive winter transfer of the Challenger Pro League was undoubtedly that of Radja Nainggolan. The midfielder left Lokeren in January to embark on an adventure with Patro Eisden Maasmechelen.
The Limburgers really wanted him there, while Nainggolan also wanted a switch. After negotiating with Lokeren for a while, all parties agreed on a transfer amount of 75,000 euros.
Nainggolan remarkably honest about transfer and salary
“That’s actually a joke, isn’t it,” says Nainggolan himself on the HLN Voetbalpodcast. “Not in a bad way, but that shows how little budget there is in Belgian football.”
In the podcast, the former Red Devil was also very open about his own salary. The midfielder said that he earns 200,000 euros a year at Patro Eisden Maasmechelen. However, money is not the most important thing for Nainggolan.
“I didn’t have a club for seven months because there were no good proposals. I sat at home, went for a drink and played a bit of padel with friends. But at a certain point I missed the dressing room and the group feeling. I’m still very ambitious. My new club suits me perfectly in that respect,” he concludes.
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