Mattsson leaves NEC for a record amount: 'offer cannot be refused'

Magnus Mattsson has left NEC for FC Copenhagen, NEC confirmed on Thursday afternoon. The people of Nijmegen talk about a 'record amount'. Fabrizio Romano wrote on Wednesday that NEC collects four million euros excluding bonuses, while according to The Telegraph five million excluding bonuses. Björn Vleminckx, who left for Club Brugge in 2011 for 3.3 million, held the record until Wednesday.

“It is a big loss that we have lost Magnus,” technical director Carlos Aalbers said on club channels. “With an offer that you cannot refuse, you have to think about the long term of the club. Magnus has been knocking on my door in recent days and indicated that he wanted to take this step. He can play in Copenhagen Champions League and his family is from there. We only wanted to let him go if we got the grand prize. We can be proud that we have succeeded.”

Mattsson is already in the Danish capital, where he has successfully passed the medical examination and has signed a contract until the summer of 2028. The transfer certainly did not come out of the blue. Saturday morning reported The Gelderlander already that the Danish top club had reported in Nijmegen.

The regional medium also reported that NEC had already received an initial offer, although it was not clear at the time exactly what amount it was. It was certain that the Eredivisie player had turned down the offer. The NEC policymakers did not find the offer received interesting enough, wrote Football International.

NEC also did not want to cooperate in a transfer of the trendsetter, but ultimately agreed with the offer that could not be refused. Mattsson was interested in a transfer and was already approaching a personal agreement with Copenhagen last weekend.

The attacking midfielder previously indicated that he did not want to leave until after this season. Mattsson had an expiring contract with NEC, but the club had an option to automatically extend that contract for another year. Its current market value is according to Transfer market three million euros, but NEC will receive at least one to two million more than that.

At Copenhagen, Mattsson will soon play in the round of 16 of the Champions League. The Danish top club awaits a tough challenge against defending champion Manchester City next month. In the group stage of the billion dollar ball, Copenhagen somewhat surprisingly finished second in a group with Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Manchester United.

Mattsson was having a great season at NEC. In 21 official matches, the 24-year-old Dane scored 12 goals and 5 assists. His departure is a big setback for NEC, which wants to qualify for the play-offs for European football this season. The Nijmegen team is currently seventh.

Mattsson came over for several hundred thousand euros from Silkeborg IF in the summer of 2021, the club where he received his youth training and broke through as a professional footballer. On behalf of that club he mainly played in the second level of Denmark.

At Copenhagen, Mattsson can prove himself in the Superligaen, the highest level in his native country. The fifteen-time national champion is currently third in the competition. Copenhagen already reported to Sparta Rotterdam for goalkeeper Nick Olij earlier this month, but the Haarlem native firmly dismissed the interest. Olij did not like being second choice behind Kamil Grabara.

This article is an update of an earlier news item. The comments below the message may therefore be less current.

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