English academies have left Germany behind
DORTMUND: English Premier League academies have left their German rivals far behind, according to Borussia Dortmund boss Michael Zorc, with Bundesliga clubs now scouting British talent in the hope of unearthing future stars.
Bundesliga leaders Dortmund play Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday at Wembley in an intriguing Champions League last 16 tie with Jadon Sancho, 18, a regular in the German side following his successful move from Manchester City in August 2017.
Dortmund’s domestic rivals are attempting to develop a Sancho of their own.
Welsh winger Rabbi Matondo, 18, joined Schalke last month and England youth internationals Reiss Nelson, 19, and Emile RoweSmith, 18, have both quit Arsenal for loan spells at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig respectively.
Even Bayern Munich are following the trend by attempting to lure England Under-19 forward Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea.
Zorc says it is becoming harder to discover talent in Germany, leaving Bundesliga clubs looking overseas and scouring the academies of Premier League clubs.
“As a German club, we would favour, of course, identifying and signing German talent or developing them in our academy,” said Dortmund’s sports director.
“But when it gets to absolutely top talents, it’s more and more difficult to find them in Germany, to be honest.”
For a while, Germany’s best youngsters often headed to England, attracted by big salaries in the Premier League, which enjoys a higher global profile.
Leroy Sane, still only 23, was the last German starlet to make the grade when he left Schalke for Manchester City in August 2016.
Since then, the trend has reversed with British youngsters, no longer content to sit on the bench of Premier League clubs, trying their luck in the Bundesliga.
“Go back say five to ten years, there was a time that English clubs were keen to sign German players,” said Zorc.
“But in the meantime, we have the feeling that the education and development of youth players in the English academies is quite good, to be honest.
“The teams don’t only spend much money on transfers or salaries, but also on infrastructure. When you see these youth academies — for example Man City — you can’t compare it with the German standard, it’s much higher.
“And also it seems to me that it’s something like a business model, because even if they don’t succeed in their own teams, they sell them for higher prices.”
“You can see it also in results. You know the English teams are reaching Under-17, Under-19 (finals) compared to the German ones. It seems to me that they overtook us.”