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Lior Refaelov (36) and Adrien Trebel (31) are out of contract with Anderlecht in June. Both players can now be officially approached by other clubs, but both Rafa and Trebel would like to stay with the Purple & White. Then we have to talk to RSCA and Trebel’s generous salary will certainly be reviewed.
Jurgen Geril
Jesper Fredberg – the new sporting director – has already left his mark on Anderlecht by appointing a new coach, but the Dane will only be officially employed by RSCA from 1 January. The Refaelov and Trebel files will quickly demand his attention.
At the beginning of November, Lior Refaelov confided to us during an interview: “We will find an agreement before January 1.” At that time, the Israeli had already had some exploratory talks with CEO Peter Verbeke about his future, but then the latter turned out to be out longer than expected with a viral infection, so the contract talks with Rafa were put on the back burner. Verbeke will soon return in a different role, but Fredberg will have to pick up the thread with Refaelov again.
He shouldn’t wait too long, because his entourage is showing interest from Maccabi Haïfa and a club from the MLS, among others. Although Refaelov himself prefers to stay with Anderlecht. He will turn 37 in April, but with 6 goals and 7 assists so far, he is also very important this season. Moreover, his family – his eldest son plays football at Antwerp – likes to live in Belgium and the playmaker cherishes the ambition to continue to play a role at Anderlecht after his active career. Although Rafa obviously also has a contract with a solid annual salary and Fredberg will also have to reconcile that with the limited budget.
The financial part also becomes a theme for Adrien Trebel. His five-year monster contract that he received from Marc Coucke in 2018 will finally expire in June. The chance that the Frenchman can sign up on the same terms – an annual salary of 2.71 million euros – is nil. However, this does not automatically mean that Trebel’s story at Anderlecht is coming to an end.
Consideration
Adrien Trebel would like to stay in Belgium, preferably with Purple & White. His wife and son feel at home in Brussels and the midfielder has little desire to plunge his family into a lucrative, exotic adventure. The player therefore understands that he will have to hand in his salary in order to stay, but he hopes that Anderlecht will still make him a good proposal. Despite his banishment under Vincent Kompany and a string of injuries, Trebel is still a mainstay for the many talents at the club. Just like Refaelov, he has an impact on RSCA’s game.
Anderlecht has already explored the terrain around Trebel a bit, but Fredberg will soon have to indicate whether all parties will really sit around the table. A decision that is anything but simple.
