If there’s one thing that we can all agree on when it comes to Brighton, it’s that they know how to sign talented youngsters.
The Seagulls are, undoubtedly, one of the best clubs in Europe when it comes to identifying, developing and then ultimately selling top talent down the line.
Moises Caicedo is the obvious example. He was sold for €116m after joining as a 19-year-old. Carlos Baleba was sold this summer for €75.9m after arriving from Lille at the same age.
Then there’s the likes of Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro, Jan Paul van Hecke, Ben White, Alexis Mac Allister and Yves Bissouma. Several in the current squad is likely to follow that path if they continue their current upward trajectory.
Sporting visit
But they key to remaining at the top of the game is learning from others. And it seems Brighton have been doing that this week.
A Bola report that Brighton were part of a contingent who headed to Sporting Club de Portugal for an ‘Academy Visit’ co-organised with the European Football Club (EFC).
That saw Sporting open the doors to its ‘laboratory’ to host the visit. Over three days, the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy because the ‘European epicentre’ for youth development.
Clubs including PSG, Atletico de Madrid, Atalanta and Brighton were among more than 30 organisations that travelled to uncover the long-standing success of the ‘Leões’ talent factory.
Sporting’s academy has produced players such as Ronaldo and Luis Figo – both Ballon D’Or winners – as well as the likes of Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, Rafa Leao, Joao Palhinha, Nuno Mendes, Joao Moutinho and even Eric Dier.
It’s long been considered one of the best in Europe, perhaps even the world, and now they’ve opened their doors to Brighton and others.
Unparallelled access
Sporting president Frederico Varandas kicked off the event. He received an award from Pouya Yaghoubinia, Senior Football Development Manager at the EFC.
Paulo Gomes, co-general director of the Academy, emphasized the significance of the summit.
“The interest we’ve generated across Europe is reflected in the presence of these clubs. Being a benchmark is both a source of pride and a responsibility.”
The sessions provided Brighton and others will an in-depth look at the ‘Player-Centered Model’. They focused on scouting processes and the full scope of the teams behind the scenes. It’s the second time the EFC have chosen Sporting as the host.
And those who attended were full of praise for what they saw. Natanael Cano, director of the Atlético de Madrid academy, was one of those.
“It’s an enriching experience. There is a clear sense of passion here, alongside a very well-defined development process,” he said.
