LookAtVietnam – The Silver Ball 2008 winner, Vu Nhu Thanh, will leave Binh Duong club to come to Ninh Binh at a record high transfer fee of over $470,000.

Nhu Thanh (red) did not play well in the 2009 football season.

Ninh Binh club’s representative on August 26 confirmed that the halfback of the national football squad will join the club in the next football season. The two sides signed a 3-year contract.

It is said that Nhu Thanh will receive VND3.5 billion while his current team, Binh Duong, will get VND5 billion from Ninh Binh. If the total transfer fee is VND8.5 billion as some sources said, Nhu Thanh’s contract will be a new record in Vietnam. At present, Vietnam’s top striker Cong Vinh is holding the record when he was bought by T&T Hanoi from Song Lam Nghe An at the cost of over VND7 billion dong.

Ninh Binh is also negotiating to buy striker Viet Thang, another football star in Vietnam, from Dong Tam Long An at the price of VND6.5 billion.

Nhu Thanh joined Binh Duong in 2007 after fulfilling his 5-year suspension for beeing involved in a scandal at the JVC Cup 2003. Thanh quickly proved his important role by contributing to the victory of Binh Duong at the V-League Championship of 2007 and 2008. He was called up to the national team again and contributed to Vietnam’s first AFF Cup Championship win in 2008. He was presented the Silver Ball title the same year.

Before V-League 2009 started, Binh Duong signed a five-year contract with Nhu Thanh that paid him VND4.8 billion. However, Thanh could not keep his manner and he lost the captainship to Quang Thanh.

“If he wants to go, we are not willing to keep him. He can leave, providing that he has to compensate us for the remaining four year contract,” said Binh Duong club’s managing director Tran Van Duong.

It is said that besides paying VND5 billion to Binh Duong as compensation for Nhu Thanh’s leave, Ninh Binh will have to allow its captain Luu Ngoc Hung to join Binh Duong. However, Binh Duong will pay Ninh Binh VND3.3 billion of compensation for Hung’s contract with Ninh Binh, which has a 3-year duration.

PV