Meyer Moves In
In an unanticipated development,
Djan Bacelar unveiled French playmaker
Clément Meyer on a $3.4 million transfer from Paris Division Six side Glorious ETP, where he had spent the bulk of his career. Before that, the 26 year-old stayed for just over a season in Italy with USC Gemini on loan from first club La Roulie FC, before getting his ETP contract.
Bacelar held the signing up as proof that Grilled were not above taking in foreign talents, as long as they had something to add. "The injury to
Zhu Changchun demonstrated just how vulnerable we can be to such mishaps. With
Abdul bin Jantan and
Nicola Vandeneynde both well over thirty, and
Gleb Dorogan maybe already having played his last for us, there was a pressing need for some younger legs to back up the middle."
"Meyer is three years younger than our main men Zhu and
Zhao Jing Wei, and although he may not start that often in his first season or two, he will definitely be well-placed to take over as and when they are phased out." Bacelar continued. "That will be some time yet, certainly, but we like to plan ahead."
Meyer's S$90000 a week salary was admitted to be on the high side, but Bacelar felt that it would not be a big concern. "We are due to renegotiate some of our big earners' salaries, which should bring the total wage bill below S$800000 again soon enough."
For that outlay, what the Birds get is a tidy midfield operator who fits right in with the existing attacking ethos, and who also has a reputation as a ballwinner in the air. The new Number 28 will head directly to Turkey to join up with the squad for their Masters game, and it is unknown if Bacelar will place him in the thick of the action.
There was talk that Grilled had been looking at taking back 23 year-old former Wings star Yuki Irie, who had been converted into a midfield stopper after starting out as a traditional defender, but he eventually went for near S$4 million to Dutch Division Seven club The Sheepheads, following strong interest from Rapidinhas FC, Haskovo78 and FC New Bern.