"These days, football clubs race to sign young talent as soon as possible. No longer does clubs wait to see if a player can develop for a year or two at a lower level before snapping them up, as those players' price tags increase exponentially once they start to demonstrate their talent. The goal is always to sign them before they start to shine."
"Before El Mala played a single minute of first team football for Köln-or even trained a single time with the team-Brighton FC came charging in, offering over €20 million for a player who had not played at a higher level than the third division of German football. It is remarkable. Clearly, their scouting tools had identified El Mala as a high potential player and they were willing to take the risk and sign him before he showed what he could do on the big stage."
Top clubs increasingly race to sign teenagers before valuations rise, buying prospects after minimal senior minutes. Rasenballsport Leipzig bought Yan Diomande for €20 million after only 500 La Liga minutes. FC Köln signed Saïd El Mala after under 500 minutes in the German third division and loaned him back. Brighton FC offered over €20 million for El Mala before he had trained with Köln, while Köln rejected the initial bid. El Mala produced a strong season with ten combined goals and assists, attracting interest from Bayern Munich and prompting Brighton to increase their offer.
Read at Bavarian Football Works
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