Euro move beckons for Sail
All Whites goalkeeper Oli Sail is closing in on a move to Europe, with at least two clubs likely to bid for his services.
Sail told the Herald in April, towards the end of an outstanding A-League campaign with the Wellington Phoenix, that he felt ready for the Northern Hemisphere.
“I feel like I’d do well making the step up and I have every intention of pursuing a career in Europe,” he said at the time. “I have every intention of testing myself against the best.”
That dream could be about to become reality. The Weekend Herald understands scouts from two clubs attended the All Whites’ match against Peru in Barcelona last week.
Although a Sail error gifted the South Americans their goal in a 1-0 defeat, his performance was otherwise solid and did little to deter his would-be suitors, who have been tracking him for some time.
If the transfer happens, it’s likely to put Sail into another stratosphere. It’s believed one of the clubs is from Europe’s top five leagues(English Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1, Serie A and Bundesliga).
The other sits outside that tier but is a large club with plenty of history, according to one source.
Sail is contracted to the Phoenix until the end of next season. If he leaves now, or in the January window, the Phoenix could pocket a significant transfer fee, as they did with the departures of Sarpreet Singh and Liberato Cacace. Otherwise he could leave at the end of this season on a free transfer, though it is unlikely the club would block any move, given his loyalty over the years.
The prospective move would complete a brilliant 18 months for the keeper. Sail unseated Stefan Marinovic at the Phoenix last February and was the unquestioned first choice by the start of last season.
He made his All Whites debut in March at the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament, after years of waiting, then got the nod for the Peru match and the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica on Wednesday.
Sail has seemingly edged ahead of Marinovic in the national set-up and has also gone past Michael Woud, who featured in the recent games against Bahrain and Jordan.
Sail’s prospective move to Europe could come at just the right time. The longevity of keepers means he has years ahead of him, while his tough road to professional football (he made just eight A-League appearances in his first six Phoenix seasons) has developed a maturity and resilience essential for the challenges to come.
If Sail leaves, the Phoenix will need to replace him. Alex Paulsen proved his worth last season with some strong performances but the 19-yearold probably isn’t yet ready to be a full-time No 1.