When Juventus and Inter signed Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic respectively in the summer, it perfectly displayed all that Serie A can now muster in terms of power of attraction.
Both players are undisputed club legends at Manchester United, but decided to make the move to Italy as 33-years-old and after they had achieved everything with the Red Devils.
The transfers proved that Italy is no longer a footballer’s paradise like before. Unable to attract the big name players, this leaves Serie A’s bigger clubs with two choices: either to follow the footsteps of Sampdoria in their pursuit of a 33-year-old Samuel Eto’o — who is currently on the peripherals of the Everton team — or to follow in the footsteps of the ‘smaller clubs’ like Palermo and Udinese who have gambled by signing young players. If anything, Serie A’s big clubs should choose the latter.
By targeting English Premier League veterans, the big clubs in Serie A are playing an active role in tarnishing the league’s reputation, fueling the stereotype that it is a retirement home for ageing players. In the ‘golden age’ of Italian football, Serie A stars like Ruud Gullit, Gianfranco Zola, and Paolo Di Canio used to head to England when they were on the brink of retirement, but now the tables have turned.
English clubs are richer, and have far more purchasing power than their Italian counterparts. However, instead of signing rejects while the other giants in the continent are making mega-money signings, the big clubs must rebuild in order to bridge the gap and thus regain the league’s prestige.
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The number of Serie A players that have moved or are linked with Europe’s other top leagues is astounding; Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Marek Hamsik, and Juan Cuadrado are examples of calculated gambles on young players with bags of potential; and before that there was Edinson Cavani, Stevan Jovetic, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Alexis Sanchez, etc.
All of the stated players have made headlines all around the world, as well as being subject to lengthy transfer sagas. This proves that not only does Serie A possess top scouting networks, but the alternative of recruiting youth players has been very successful.
The importing and promoting of youth in Serie A is not only beneficial in terms of building a long-term foundation, but it enhances the teams’ financial health as well.
Instead of pursuing a player who will earn no less than €3 million like Vidic, clubs can in turn sign young players for minuscule transfer fees who will earn smaller wages compared to the star in his late 30s. With Italian clubs already facing financial issues, scouting is a long-sighted and feasible strategy to accommodate monetary difficulties.
The big clubs in Serie A must realise that they can no longer compete for the world’s top players. Signing English Premier League stars nearing the end of their career implies a desperate and short-sighted strategy, which is why big clubs must utilise their scouting systems to bolster the side.
The 34-year-old star will definitely be inferior to where he was at his peak, and will only stick around for a short while. In contrast, younger players will certainly be around for much longer, and can leave for hefty transfer fees which can then be reinvested for replacements.
In short, big clubs must put a halt to their heavy interest in signing English Premier League has-beens, and instead focus on scouting youngsters in order to build a foundation for the future.
