Belgian midfielder Radja Nainggolan has revealed the main reason as to why he rejected a move to the Premier League to join Chelsea after switching Serie A sides AS Roma to Inter Milan. The 30-year-old was a prime target for the Blues for quite a few seasons but opted to continue playing in the Italian league over joining the competitive Premier League.
Alongside Daniel De Rossi, Nainggolan formed a great partnership in AS Roma’s midfield department. For four seasons Nainggolan was a fan favorite at the Stadio Olimpico before making a move to the San Siro in the summer of 2018 to join Inter Milan. Despite making a €38 million move to the Milan outfit there were some huge admirers for the high-quality midfielder as West London club Chelsea were monitoring his situation trying to lure Nainggolan to Stamford Bridge.
While speaking during an interview with news outlet ESPN the Inter Milan midfielder was asked about the reason that he decided to remain in Italy rather than playing in a different league. Nainggolan replied by stating that he was happy living in Italy, enjoying the lifestyle and content with his hard work throughout his career, even though there was a big offer from Chelsea on the table, “I have had plenty of chances to leave. I am the kind of person who above all needs to live well and be at a club which plays to win, or where I am happy with my life. In Italy, you live really well. I like the culture and way of life here. Chelsea offered me more money (while at Roma in 2017) and they are a big club, yes. But I’m interested in waking up in the morning in a place where I feel good and, at the age of 29, winning back all the respect I’d worked 12 years to earn in Italy was not for me. There are lots of components – lots to evaluate.”
However, Nainggolan did not rule out a move to England in the near future and also explained that he is a big fan of Premier League football and does tune into the games and watch top English teams play from time to time, ”I think if you want a spectacle, you need to watch English football, In terms of the fans, the stadiums being full, the pitches being perfect — and it seems like the action is in fast-forward. The rhythm is so high, but it’s not as tactical as it is in Italy. If you were to ask me which league I’d like to play in, maybe I’d say England for the spectacle, but I’ve been here for so long now that I’m perfectly happy here and I don’t need to change anything.”
I think plenty of people around England would have loved to see Nainggolan play in the Premier League because he is something very different from other midfielders. His work ethic, passing range, and a rocket of a shot on goal are traits that determine a superstar of a footballer.
