How desperate were Manchester United to move winger Luis Nani on? Very, is the answer.
On Tuesday Nani left United and headed back to his former club, Sporting Lisbon, on a one-year loan deal with defender Marcos Rojo heading in the opposite direction.
Reports had emerged that United were paying Nani’s wages in full and that has been backed up from a financial statement the Portuguese club have since released.
Below is a snippet from the statement which mostly outlines the deal for Rojo and how the funds will be paid in installments. However, tucked away in there is a few sentences about Nani’s loan move and how Sporting will pay absolutely nothing for him.
So, after making 228 appearances and scoring 40 goals since 2007, Nani is still being paid 100 percent of his wages by Manchester United but will instead play for Sporting Lisbon throughout the 2014-15 season.
This rarely happens in soccer. Usually clubs will split wages or the team who signed the player on loan will pick up 75 percent or more of his wages.
You have to applaud the transparency from Sporting in their transfer dealings but these details paint a picture of how badly United wanted to get rid of Nani and how little they value him as a player. It sends out a message to the winger that he has no future at Old Trafford.
United will be hoping he performs well back in his homeland and Sporting will be willing to pay for his services next season. Until then, Nani is being paid in full by United to play for another team.