Why our scouts cannot pick a defender before they become too expensive?
We could pick Zab and Kompany for cheap , improve them up and now we have them and could sold them for huge profit if we wanted and also can use them as fix starters.
Roma picked Benatia for pretty good fee around 10m pounds, now they are looking to get 25-30m for him.
So many other examples, Vertonghen for 12m to Spurs, Lovren for 7-8m to Soton. If we wanted to buy these players it would be 20m at least now.
Of course some of it is down to not risk much, go for clear top defenders, risk as less with them as we can.
Garay went to Benfica for 4m pounds. Now he is a 15-20m defender. Of course Benfica gave him confidence, playing time etc, this made him a better player but took the risk of it.
Its 100% sure that if all of Lovren, Hummels, Benatia, Mangala, Godín etc. moves this summer the players that will replace them will cost lot less and at least half of them again will be just as much wanted in 1-2 years later for lot bigger prices. Couldnt we scout one of these players now? Or wee just go after them when they are already in the 20m+ bracket?
There is also risk in this type of buying as last summer showed even Txiki couldnt get Mangala or Pepe last summer and we face similar problems with Benatia, Mangala now. We dont want to pay much extra City-tax on players but it means we just have to move on from our primary targets.
Sometimes it works out well sometimes not. So its risky too.
One thing is sure, when we bought Zab and Kompany, they were nowhere near the players they are now. Zab was like if we signed now some talented defender from ther 13th or 14th placed team in Spain.
What is important to scout cheap players with the right mentality. That what really helped Kompany and Zab to turn into really great defenders.
We scouted Nastasic but we are fast to move him into a 4th cb role after one weaker season even tho he looked great in his debut season.
But even he wasnt cheap at all, 12m +Savic, the Savic we didnt really rate now actually in top 5 CB's at Serie A based on whoscored ratings. He cost us 7m at that time if we wanted him now that would be around 15m at least.
