Inter midfielder Radja Nainggolan is set to end his underwhelming stint in Milano and complete a return to Cagliari on a permanent basis where he’ll be reunited with his former Roma boss Eusebio Di Francesco as well as his Sardinian fanbase.
So is Antonio Conte right to sanction Nainggolan’s exit from Inter? And what should we expect from Cagliari this season in the light of the return of the former Belgium international?
Nainggolan Time At Inter Comes To An End
On the back of two long and successful stints at Cagliari and Roma, Nainggolan’s transfer to Inter was highlighted as one of the pieces of business done in the summer of 2018, as the Nerazzurri secured the signing of of the most complete midfielders in Italian football for the last decade.
And yet, things didn’t go according to plan for the parties involved, as the Indonesian descent didn’t quite live up to the highly set expectations for Luciano Spaletti’s Inter as he failed to replicate his Roma form, which led many fans to describe the transfer as a “flop”, especially with Nicolò Zaniolo – who went in the opposing direction in the same deal – turning out to be a great signing for the Romans.
Despite scoring the final decisive goal of the season against Empoli which secured Inter a Champions League spot ahead of Milan, the new manager Antonio Conte wasn’t interested in keeping Nainggolan at Inter, even though many considered the 32-year-old as the type of player who is appreciated by the former Juventus boss.
Thus, after failing to convince his new manager on the technical level – and perhaps on a moral level as well – the Belgian was allowed to rejoin Cagliari on a loan deal. The Isolani’s season was a mixed one, but Nainggolan managed to reclaim his best form and ended the season in the Top XI players in Serie A in the eyes of many experts.
Returning from his successful loan spell, it was initially thought that Conte could hand the Ninja an opportunity to prove his true worth at Inter. Nonetheless, the presence of a small army of midfielders battling for just 3 starting spots rendered Nainggolan’s services unneeded – especially with the arrival of Arturo Vidal – and his second half substitute appearance in the 4-3 victory against Fiorentina will probably be remembered as his last match for Inter.
But despite the various options under the disposal of Antonio Conte, one must wonder if the Nerazzurri do possess a player in Nainggolan’s attributes, and if his experience, winning mentality, driving force, and the ability to link up the midfield with the attack will be missed when Inter are fighting on all fronts at the middle of a packed season.
Nainggolan’s Homecoming at Cagliari
Initially joining the club in 2009 as a youngster, Radja Nainggolan rose through the ranks at Cagliari in a short amount of time and became a hero for the Sardinian folks, until he made his big move to Roma in 2013.
And yet his love for the club and the island never died down, as he opted to join Cagliari last summer despite receiving some more lucrative offers.
In our Serie A predictions for the season, we thought that Cagliari will struggle – mainly due to the loss of their star midfielder from the past sesson – but securing Nainggolan permanently will be a game changer for new coach Eusebio Di Francesco who will be reunited with his former Roma pupil.
And with the presence of strikers Joao Pedro and Giovanni Simeone, as well as Nahitan Nandez in midfield, and the arrival of veteran defender Diego Godin, Nainggolan’s Cagliari suddenly look like a promising side that is able to climb their way throughout the Serie A table.