Radja Nainggolan will be a key signing for Cagliari this season after returning from Inter on loan this week, according to former Rossoblu coach Massimo Rastelli.

The 32-year-old made just five appearances under Antonio Conte in the first half of the campaign and became the Nerazzurri’s first departure of the January transfer window.

Nainggolan scored six goals and provided six assists for the Sardinians in the 2019-20 campaign under Rolando Maran and Walter Zenga.

Rastelli told TuttoMercatoWeb: “He was a key target for the summer transfer window but at the time Inter laid down conditions that Cagliari couldn’t accept.

“They’ve come back in for him though and managed to secure a fundamental player.

“Nainggolan will add personality to a side with a lot of quality which is full of interesting young players.

“Cagliari needed someone else after Diego Godin to provide experience and with Marko Rog’s injury they needed an extra body in midfield.”

Inter are looking to offload players not wanted by Antonio Conte this month so that they can replace them with players more functional to his ideas.

Christian Eriksen is all but certain to become the next midfielder to leave, although it remains unclear which clubs are going to come in with an offer Inter deem appropriate.

Nainggolan joined Inter in the summer of 2018 under Luciano Spalletti but has never shown his potential in Milan, suffering from a combination of physical problems and disciplinary issues.