The Premier League are never likely to put any more extra sanctions on foreign imports into the league, there’s too much money at stake. So for an 18 year old who knows that they’re good enough for the first team but the manager doesn’t want to risk them in the place of an international player who’s more established, what do they do? Well, finally, British youngsters are moving onto the continent to show what they can do.
The breakdown in the transfer of Callum Hudson-Odoi to Bayern proves that the current crop of young British players aren’t simply happy to sit on a substitutes bench and be told that they need to build experience.
The player that has really jumped at the chance and taken the initiative is Hudson-Odoi’s England team-mate Jadon Sancho. Tipped for great things at Manchester City from a very young age, Sancho looked on the periphery of the first team and may have been a bit part player for Man City that season when Borussia Dortmund bid £8m as a direct and much cheaper replacement for Ousmane Dembele, this seemed at the time like an extraordinary fee to pay for a 17 year old with little to no first team experience. We should know better to question Dortmund’s judgement though, they’ve got previous with this, Dembele is a prime example.
Sancho began last season with late substitute appearances and bit part cameos, but Dortmund called him back form the U17 World Cup early, indicating his value to them even at such a young age. This season started much the same but his impact off the bench couldn’t go unnoticed and he displaced Chelsea bound Christian Pulisic, I’d say he’s more than repaid the faith considering he’s the top assist maker in the big 5 leagues this season.
Sancho is actually a very good player to use in the discussion. A direct comparison with his ex-Man City team mate Phil Foden can be made. Valued as the two shining lights of the academy, Sancho left, Foden stayed. I’m not saying Foden isn’t developing, in fact I think he will go on to be an excellent player, it’s just that he has yet to start a league game and is still in the England U21’s, whereas Sancho is now an important player for club and country having just turned 19.
Going back to 2011, and a move that I remember at the time, Michael Mancienne moved from Chelsea to Hamburg after not really reaching his potential as a youngster. Maybe inevitably, the move didn’t quite work out, he was in and out of the team for the three years he was there and never really settled, but having obviously been too young to see Lineker, Waddle, Keegan, Hughes and all move abroad, I thought it took some mettle to do and showed there was no reason why more couldn’t follow suit. Never thought I’d say Michael Mancienne was any kind of trendsetter but here we are!
When I looked in to this, I didn’t realise exactly how many youngsters have gone abroad in the last few years, the trickle has become a flood.
Patrick Roberts is flying the flag as the only English player in La Liga, with Man City loaning him out to Girona, he has done okay without being spectacular so far. Ronaldo Vieira also moved at the beginning of the season, signing for Sampdoria in Serie A for around £7m from Leeds as a direct replacement for Arsenal bound Lucas Torreira and Nathaniel Chalobah also had a season long loan spell at Napoli in 2015. Despite playing a bit part all season, I’ve listened to a few interviews about it and he talks about his time there in glowing terms.
It’s in the Bundesliga where young British players have found a home the most in recent years though. There is obviously the pre-mentioned Sancho who we’ve covered extensively and Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson is producing superb performances at high flying Hoffenheim. Having seen Nelson’s success, Arsenal decided to also loan out 18 year old England youth international Emile Smith Rowe to RBL, though he is yet to play.
Speaking of RBL, they seem more keen than most on giving British players a chance. They signed powerful Scotland & Nottingham Forest Winger Oliver Burke for a reported £13m, at the time he was drawing comparisons with a young Gareth Bale but it was not to be and he has subsequently made his return to English football with West Brom. Ademola Lookman, had a far more impressive spell there, prompting RBL to make an unsuccessful permanent bid for him that summer.
A close eye should also be kept on Rabbi Matondo, another British winger who has been poached by Man City. Schalke shelled out a fee rising to £12m for the 18 year old who has already made several appearances for the first team and has 3 full Wales caps, definitely one to watch if maybe slightly less talented than Sancho.
This is something that should have been happening a long time ago and it appears our European counterparts are doing the home nations a massive favour even if the Premier League won’t.
False 9 