Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has revealed midfielder Michael Essien took a pay cut to move from Chelsea to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
The Ghanaian midfielder is currently on a season-long loan at the Spanish club, but his former boss at Stamford Bridge has revealed Essien wanted the deal so much he took a drop in wages to make sure it happened.
In an interview with Spanish newspaper AS, Mourinho revealed the 29-year-old�s decision to accept lower pay, which suggests Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was unwilling to subsidise any of his wages, as Manchester City have often done.
Essien made the move late on the last day of the summer transfer window and it came as a surprise to many, as he was only just beginning to play regularly following recovery from two long-term injuries.
However, he was no longer a first choice in the starting XI under Roberto di Matteo last season, with many commenters believing injuries had greatly reduced the powers of a player whom had been integral to the teams� success under Mourinho.
Essien has a famously good relationship with the Portuguese and that could possibly lead to a permanent move come the summer, though there have been no reports of an agreement between Chelsea and Real.
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