Silly question, but at how many metres are you “close” to a club? I read at Voetbalkrant that Didier Lamkel Zé, a 30-year-old Cameroonian winger, is reportedly close to a transfer to Radomiak Radom, in Poland. Africafoot also writes that he is close to an agreement. Two outlets, the same word, no unit of measurement.
I opened my notebook at the “transfers” tab, which is the thickest even though I only arrived in September. I noted down the week’s vocabulary. “Reportedly close.” “Is said to have had offers.” “Does not seem to have a follow-up.” Three conditionals for one person who, as far as I read, has said nothing. In basketball, a transfer is announced when it’s signed. I looked.
Now the facts, because my section editor always asks for them first. Radomiak Radom are second from bottom in the Polish top flight and fighting to avoid relegation. According to Africafoot, the player would choose Poland for the sporting project, hoping to relaunch his career. There was also reportedly interest from Hungary and Saudi Arabia. In January he had joined Kazma SC in Kuwait, where he spent a season.
I wanted to understand the “sporting project”. I was told every club has one. I asked if I could read it. Nobody had it on them.
In Belgium he has played for Antwerp, Kortrijk and STVV, and he left the Bosuil (Antwerp’s ground) in 2021. He is a Cameroon international, with three caps. I was also given the list of his clubs over the last five seasons: Dunajska Streda, Khimki, FC Metz, Kortrijk, Wydad Casablanca, Hatayspor, Sakaryaspor, Karagümrük, STVV, Qingdao Hainiu and Kazma SC. I looked those towns up on a map. It took a second tab.
Close is when you’re sitting next to each other. The rest is newspaper.
I checked, and actually nobody knows how many kilometres are left. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn.
It’s true, we checked: Voetbalkrant.
