Joachim Andersen appeared to swap Crystal Palace for Fulham in quite an amicable way.
Crystal Palace posted a heartfelt statement thanking the Denmark international for his efforts at Selhurst Park – with Steve Parish adding “we wish him well for the future” after the defender returned to Fulham in a £30m deal.
By the sounds of it, the Dane may have actually preferred to stay in SE25 – as he has now revealed he is a “little disappointed” that Crystal Palace did not match Fulham’s contract offer.
Andersen tells Danish news outlet TV2: “I was a little disappointed that Palace could not offer me such a deal in relation to the length.
“It was really a cold and cynical change from Palace, so that they could also earn the last coins from me, but that’s how it is, it’s business from Palace’s side.”
In our view, that is a bizarre outlook from Andersen.
Fulham are believed to be paying the 28-year-old more than double the £75,000-a-week salary he earned at Selhurst Park, according to Alan Nixon, and have also tied him down to a five-year deal taking him up to the age of 33.
Therefore, it was not “cold” or “cynical” of Crystal Palace to decide against matching that, as it makes little financial sense to spend £150,000-a-week for the next five years keeping a £30m asset at the club as he ages and his value decreases.
While £30m is undoubtedly a good fee to receive for Andersen at this stage of his career, Parish and Dougie Freedman can only pat themselves on the back once a replacement is signed.