Smart wage policy should help Anderlecht and Cvetkovic grow
WEDNESDAY, 8 OCTOBER 2025, 10:52 - lajoya
OTHER Under sports director Olivier Renard, RSC Anderlecht is balancing ambition and financial discipline. The club, which had to reduce its wage bill by 25 percent following Jesper Fredberg's policy, is focusing strongly on young players with growth potential. Mihajlo Cvetkovic's transfer file illustrates this strategy.
The 18-year-old striker was acquired from Cukaricki for €3 million, a substantial investment for a talent with no experience at the top level. Nevertheless, his base salary is relatively low: around half a million euros per year. He can make up the difference through a detailed bonus system that increases with the number of starting positions in the first team. This limits the financial pressure on the club, while keeping the player motivated to persevere.
Continue reading below the article
Continue reading Renard applies this model more broadly. Young players receive variable compensation based on minutes played, while experienced players receive bonuses for sporting successes such as a top ranking. It is a system that seeks a balance between wage restraint and performance incentives, typical of clubs that are restructuring financially but still want to remain competitive.
In sporting terms, Cvetkovic fits into a tradition of Serbian strikers who have brought color to the purple and white – Mitrovic, Jestrovic, Jovanovic – but expectations are deliberately being tempered. The young striker needs to grow without being rushed. His professional attitude and eagerness to learn reinforce the belief that he can become a key player in the long term.
At a time when Anderlecht is once again looking for structure, the Cvetkovic story shows that the club is committed to sustainable development: no big transfers, but smart contracts and targeted bonuses that align talent and policy.
