Arnaud Djoum has commented on why he left Hearts this summer.
The Cameroonian international opted to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Raed after the expiry of his Jambos deal.
Djoum left Hearts for the middle east. (Photo by Visionhaus)
Now he has lifted the lid on why he chose the Al-Raed over Gorgie.
He told the Daily Record: “At the end of my contract at Hearts I had a lot of offers including a chance to return there.
“I looked at all the offers with my agent and decided the one in Saudi Arabia was by far the most financially enticing. Also they had shown great interest in me and made clear they wanted me.
Djoum has given an honest reason as to why he left Gorgie. (photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
“The Saudi league is the best in Asia and every club is now allowed to pick up to eight foreigners so there is a lot of good talent here.”
Former Hearts man Djoum is completely right for choosing the money
If Djoum had stayed with Hearts who knows if he’d have got a big financial move again.
At the age of 30, he had to make the move to Asia. It would have been a silly move if he hadn’t chosen to potentially set his family up for life with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.
It’d have been a silly move to reject the deal. (photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
It’s a refreshingly honest answer. Many footballers would have branded this as a good step in their career and that it wasn’t about the lucrative contract. At least Djoum’s honest enough to say that money played a big part in his decision.
Craig Levein hasn’t replaced Djoum yet and the reasons why some Hearts fans wanted him to stay are becoming clearer. He adds a defensive bite and overall class to the midfield on his day, something the maroon midfield is short of right now.
Alas, he’s got his big payday over in Saudi Arabia. Most Hearts supporters will wish him well on his new adventure.