Free-agent Radja Nainggolan seems to be returning to Italy. The Belgian midfielder was transfer-free after his departure from Antwerp FC and can now opt for a comeback at Cagliari. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he is one of the pillars that should bring the Sardinian club back to Serie A.
Earlier this season, Nainggolan’s employment with Antwerp came to an annoying end. Trainer Mark van Bommel no longer needed the 30-time international of De Rode Duivels. “I miss some dedication from Radja. He is not entirely focused on football. I’m talking about his commitment and behavior in its totality. He made certain choices that made him more or less impossible in the group. It is a regrettable waste of talent,” said chairman Paul Gheysens later.
The love between Nainggolan and Sardinia is well known and that is why the club thinks it can strike, even now that it is active in Serie B. Nainggolan played his first matches for Cagliari from 2010 to 2014 and returned to the island twice as a loanee from Internazionale. According to Corriere dello Sport, a fourth adventure is not long in coming.
The Ranieri effect
The club is not doing great at the second level of Italy and therefore miracle doctor Claudio Ranieri has been appointed to make something of this season. For the time being, Cagliari is in eleventh place in Serie B, a place in the top eight is needed to have a chance of promotion to Serie A. In the hunt for that success, Ranieri has set a first demand: Nainggolan must return to Sardinia.
Nainggolan recently returned to Sardinia, where he and his family still have a home. The Ninja has now been approached by coach Claudio Ranieri about a return to the club where he grew up. The coach sees the controller as the ideal man in the hunt for promotion to Serie A.
Initially, attracting Nainggolan seemed to be a difficult story, but by selling former PSV player Gastón Pereiro to the Uruguayan Nacional, an opening was suddenly found. According to the Italian medium, it is only a matter of time before Nainggolan joins Cagliari. Ranieri expects the Belgian to bring his team the charisma, experience and quality they need to be promoted.
Cagliari is currently eighth in the ranking. Nainggolan has already worn the shirt of the club three times. The midfielder also played for AS Roma and Internazionale, among others.
