Árva-Bona Switch
Eager to reinforce his defence going into the business end of the season, Grilled coach
Marcus Liehner pulled off a double deal today. Minutes after packing 32 year-old longtime club servant
Fabian Bona off to English Division Four side Wincobank Ironopolis, he welcomed Hungarian centerback
Zoltán Árva into the fold.
"Zoltán stood out in the current overpriced market climate," Liehner insisted. "He has his best seasons as a defender still ahead of him, and didn't ask for high wages. Best of all, he's known for sending pinpoint balls out of defence direct to the frontline, a rare skill that Rotteveel and Subri will surely appreciate."
Zoltán Árva had proved himself a good trooper with previous sides F.C. ReM and FC Libamáj, as he was a stabilizing influence for both sides despite the occasional passionate outburst. He even gave FC Libamáj a fond farewell gift, scoring a stylish equaliser in the last minute of his last match with them, against domestic league rivals Deep Purple.
Getting the Hungarian's signature wasn't completely straightforward, though, as Grilled had to bump German Division Five side FC Schlapp out of contention with a seven hundred and fifty thousand dollar premium over Zoltán's initial asking price. Liehner agreed that S$5.75 million was slightly steep, but reiterated his view that Zoltán's intangibles would make up for it.
The outgoing Bona moved for S$2.5 million, twelve seasons after he joined from now-defunct Estonian club Miki Hiir. Despite stating that the high point of his career would doubtless be participating in the Hattrick Masters after helping Grilled to two Singapore Cups, the German hardman is far from done.
"I'll be wearing the number twenty shirt at Ironopolis after having the number nineteen at Grilled for all those years," he said. "I mean it to be taken as a sign that I'm still progressing as a player."
