INSA BOOST FOR DARUL TA’ZIM

Levante marksman will add firepower to team

AJITPAL SINGH ajitpalsingh@nst.com.my

SPANISH midfielder Ignacio ‘Natxo’ Insa will forego the opportunity to play against the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga following his decision to join Darul Ta’zim.

According to reports in the Spanish media, Darul Ta’zim paid a transfer fee of about €400,000 (RM1.9 million) to Levante UD as he had another year on his contract with the newly crowned La Liga 2 champions.

As part of the deal, Insa waived his match and promotion bonuses, totalling €380,000 (RM1.8 million), due from Levante.

It is learnt that Insa will now be the highest paid player in the Super League, leapfrogging Darul Ta’zim’s recent signing Mohammed Ghaddar of Lebanon, who draws a monthly salary of between RM170,000 and RM200,000.

It is said that Darul Ta’zim offered Insa more than the annual salary of €200,000 (RM965,000) that he was earning at Levante to entice him to Malaysia.

However, it is unclear whether the 31year-old will be registered under the foreign quota or as a local player in the ongoing mid-season transfer window.

His younger brother, Kiko Insa has a Malaysian passport and is registered as a local player with Pahang.

Pahang’s Insa was granted citizenship as his grandmother was born in Malaysia but the Asian Football Confederation are still investigating whether he is eligible to play for the national team.

“A professional should always be where he believes he is most valued. Only then he can achieve his dreams in football,” said Insa on his Twitter account on Monday.

“It is sad to move away from my family. But my brother is also playing in Malaysia… I believe it is time for more challenges. Levante will always be in my heart. When I was there, I was able to play my best in every match as the support from the fans, coaches and players motivated me in every aspect.

“It was an honour to be part of Levante’s dream season. One day, I may return to Spain when the opportunity arises.”

Insa, a product of Valencia’s football academy, formerly played for Villarreal, Celta Vigo and Real Zaragoza.