Romanian Winger Cordea Rejects Maccabi Tel Aviv Offer

Romanian winger Andrei Cordea, 27, has reportedly rejected a lucrative offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv, which would have made him one of the highest earners in the Israeli Premier League. Cordea, who plays for Romanian club CFR Cluj, was offered a salary of 600,000 euros per season by Maccabi Tel Aviv. The club's president stated that Cordea himself expressed a desire to stay with Cluj, despite the substantial offer. "He told us he wouldn't leave just for the sake of leaving," the president said. "Maccabi offered him a million euros per season right before the transfer window closed, but he wanted to stay. He has a great character. He's been through a lot in life and said he wouldn't leave by force."

Maccabi Tel Aviv is actively seeking to strengthen its winger position. Prior to approaching Cordea, the club had also shown interest in Morgan Boyles, who is reportedly hesitant to move to Israel. Cordea has scored four goals this season playing on the right wing, the position Maccabi is looking to reinforce. Last season, he netted 15 goals and provided five assists across all competitions as Cluj finished third in the league and was eliminated in the Europa Conference League qualifying playoffs.

If Cordea had accepted the offer, his salary would have placed him among the top earners in Israel. Currently, the highest-paid foreign player in the Israeli league is James Tavernier, who joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on a free transfer. In the past, Dia Saba earned a similar salary of 600,000 euros per season during his tenure in Israel, making him one of the league's highest earners at the time.