By Samindra Kunti
July 13 – Belgian top-flight outfit Club Brugge has set its sights on acquiring an American club from the lower divisions in the future in a bid to bolster its youth operations.
Brugge last won the Belgian league title in the 2004/05 season. Under coach Michel Preud’homme the club were left stranded in second place last season, two points behind champions AA Gent. In the Europa League Ukraine’s Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk eliminated Brugge in the quarterfinals.
This transfer window Brugge acquired 22 year old Hans Vanaken from Lokeren. He is a talented midfielder who went through the youth ranks of PSV and Lommel United. But the club feels it needs to look further afield to secure the best talent and strengthen its position domestically.
Brugge has a co-operation with schools in South America and Australia, but is now eyeing to tap into the US market. The backroom staff has established contacts, focusing primarily on the American east coast.
By 2017 Club Brugge wants to acquire an American club from the lower leagues, according to local newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws. That way it will be easier to scout and attract 16-18 years-old youngsters from North and Central America, opening up the markets in Costa Rica, Mexico, Jamaica and Honduras. These players will be eligible for a transfer to the mother club at the age of 18.
It’s a convenient way for clubs to circumvent FIFA rules, prohibiting international transfers of minors. Anderlecht and Standard Liege, two other traditional powerhouses of Belgian football, are talking about implementing a similar strategy to detect young talent.
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