NIKOLA KALINIC was once earning thousands of pounds a week in the Premier League – now he’s set to barely earn a pound at his latest club.
The 36-year-old played for Blackburn Rovers, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid during his heyday and was regarded as one of the greatest Croatian strikers ever.
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Kallanic, who was once worth £13million, earned a pretty penny during his career – which is coming to its end.
And he will quite literally be earning pennies following his latest move – a return to his boyhood team Hajduk Split.
The veteran striker inked a short-term deal with the Croatian giants, who have acquired his services until the end of the season, earlier this month.
But he’ll only earn a paltry 86 PENCE for his third stint with the Masters from the Sea.
Hadjuk club director Mindaugas Nikolicius said of Kalinic’s return: “This was easiest deal in my three years at Hajduk – it’s a 1 euro salary.
“Nikola returns with one aim: help Hajduk to win the title after 19 years.”
He added: “We all know what kind of situation he was in.
“We need to give him some time and see what form he will be in.
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“Nikola returns with one aim: help Hajduk to win the title after 19 years.”
Kalinic has seemingly never been motivated by money, so much so that he turned down a lucrative move to China when he was plying his trade in Italy with Fiorentina.
He told Sportske Novosti: “There was huge pressure to sell me, I felt everyone was pushing me to China.
“Not the club but the press and people, the atmosphere was created that I should go – they wanted to get rid of me.
“I never said I would love to go.
“Of course, I considered it when I saw the offer, but not once did I say I would like to go!
“I don’t know how much Tianjin offered to Fiorentina, I got an offer for me and decided to stay.
“This is my final decision!”
Kalinic could make his third Hadjuk debut a week on Monday when the SuperSport HNL table-toppers host second-placed Rijeka at the Stadion Poljud.
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