Over the summer, Sint-Truiden missed out on bringing Benito Raman back to the club. During the second-half of the 2015/2016 season the forward spent half a season on loan at the club from Gent, playing 10 times and scoring once. Since then, he went on to make a name for himself while at Fortuna Düsseldorf, before a move to Schalke 04 and eventually back to Belgium with Anderlecht. Since returning, he has played 89 times for the Mauves, scoring 19 goals.
However, the side need to get his wages off the books. He hasn’t been included in the winter training camp, and the reports are suggesting that Anderlecht are not looking for a transfer fee. His contract expires in the summer but the club hopes it can move him before then to free up space for other moves.
Clearly, Sint-Truiden will not be able to match the wages that Anderlecht were willing to pay him. Yet for Raman, a move to Sint-Truiden would make sense from a footballing perspective. The side have gone from defensively minded to one of the best attacking sides in the league. Yet their big problem has been that despite all the chances they create, they have not got a striker who can score. Only Kahveh Zahiroleslam of their recognised forwards has found the net, and this came in the cup. Midfielder/winger Aboubakary Koita leads the side with 11, but he is off to AFCON with Mauritania.
Raman could find himself back amongst the goals if he goes to Sint-Truiden. He will get a hatful of chances every match, with the likes of Jarne Steuckers and Ryotaro Itio creating for him. His energetic style of play will also suit the ball movement and desire to press that Sint-Truiden have shown so far this season. It may be a financial hit in the short-term, but in the long-term it could see him rediscover some of the form he showed while he was in Germany.
Both sides should certainly return to the negotiating table this winter.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
