We thought he was destined for a sub-top European club, but Cameron Puertas finally joined Saudi Arabia last summer. The Swiss spoke on this subject for the first time.
After the three-star season of Cameron Puertas (26 years old) at Union Saint-Gilloise, we knew that the Brussels club would have a lot of trouble keeping their playmaker. But after he distributed 23 assists in 56 games, seeing him sign in Saudi Arabia was a surprise.
However, at the end of the transfer window, and while rumors had sent him all over Europe (notably to Seville) throughout the summer, Puertas joined Al-Qadsiah, promoted to the Saudi D1, who also offered himself between other Koen Casteels.
Cameron Puertas himself does not hide that this was not necessarily what he had in mind at the start of the summer. “Of course, I would have liked to play in the Champions League,” he admits in a first interview since his transfer, given to Importance of Limburg.
“A few European clubs came forward, but none were ready to immediately put 15 million euros on the table.” The Union requested this sum, which corresponded to the market value of Hispano-Switzerland; on August 26, Puertas signed with Al-Qadsiah for 15 million.
“The financial aspect of course played a role. I weighed the pros and cons, I thought about my post-career… Playing in the Champions League is every player’s dream, but I wouldn’t have I didn’t necessarily have peace of mind for the rest of my life afterwards,” he concludes.
