Scouting specialists: Which clubs sign the best players for each position?

"It is the elite clubs' fix for all manner of problems. Unable to sign a dominant center back? Need proven quality in midfield? Can't ever seem to find a goal-scoring striker? There are places you can go. There are certain clubs across world football -- the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sturm Graz, Woifsburg and more -- who have become masters of recruitment in specific positions."

"So, if your club has a positional need to fix, where should they look, and how do those clubs do it? Here is your cheat sheet. Before we begin, a quick note: Goalkeeper is the only position not covered here. Several ESPN sources consulted for this piece warned against it. Simply put, no club is particularly expert at signing them. It's an individualist and (oftentimes) chaotic area of the market."

Smaller clubs increasingly act as talent feeders, supplying elite teams with position-specific recruits that solve tactical and personnel problems while generating transfer profits. Examples include Brighton & Hove Albion, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sturm Graz and Woifsburg, which excel at identifying and developing players for particular roles. Elite clubs routinely look to those specialists to fill needs such as center back, midfield quality or goal-scoring strikers. Goalkeeper recruitment is an exception because no club demonstrates consistent expertise in signing them; that market is individualistic and often chaotic. AFC Bournemouth exemplifies effective center-back recruitment through a multi-club network and clear signing strategy.

Read at ESPN.com