Sulley Muntari has agreed to take a whopping £20,000-a-week pay cut to join Sunderland on loan.
The Ghana midfielder rakes in £75,000 a week at Inter Milan which means he will now earn £55,000 a week.
The move by Muntari shows how desperate the hugely talented midfielder wants to play regular football after a torrid time at Inter Milan.
He is moving to the Stadium of Light for the rest of the season and will complete a £6.5million transfer in the summer.
Black Cats boss Steve Bruce said: "He's taken a significant drop in wages because he wants to come back to England.
"That's quite refreshing. He could quite easily have stayed in Milan and picked up his wages.
"If you look at his record, all he's ever wanted to do is play."
But ex-Portsmouth star Muntari, 26, could miss tonight's home clash with Chelsea due to red tape.
He will more than likely be cleared to make his Premier League return at Stoke on Saturday.
Bruce added: "He's a top player who can score and can see that final killer pass. It's a real statement to get him here."
The Black Cats chief has had to fend off interest from Premier League big guns to keep £20m-rated England star Jordan Henderson on Wearside.
Bruce is resigned to losing the 20-year-old midfielder but hopes to delay the inevitable by helping him fulfil his ambitions for the next few seasons.