Southampton defender Wesley Hoedt was denied a return to Belgium this summer because of his high wage demands.
That’s according to Het Laatste Nieuws, who say that Anderlecht, Antwerp and Club Brugge all had to abandon potential moves.
Hoedt was heavily linked with a move away from Southampton throughout the summer, with it made clear that he was not a part of their plans.
He eventually ended up rejoining Lazio but not before weeks of speculation that he could be returning to Belgium after spending the season with Antwerp.
The newspaper say that Hoedt was ‘close to an extended stay’ in Belgium and was even spotted meeting with Anderlecht coach Vincent Kompany.
The former Manchester City man was convinced that Hoedt was the man he needed, but ultimately Anderlecht did not have the money to complete a move.
It was also finances that scuppered a return to Antwerp, who did not want to match the €4.2m that he currently earns at Southampton and were never a concrete option.
Brugge, meanwhile, studied the situation carefully but eventually concluded that he didn’t have the qualities to enhance their defence, while his price tag didn’t help the situation either.
Thus he ended up moving to Lazio, with whom he will, ironically, return to Belgium in the Champions League this evening.
