T
the_khl
Guest
20-year-old Danish defender and Liverpool-target Simon Kjær has been nominated in Goal.com's Team of the Year in the Serie A. In what is his first Season mind.
- He's a complete defender who's already got it all - including pace, awareness and aeral strength - the Dane is one of the main reasons why Palermo is battling it out for a place in the Euro League next Season. Every big club in Europe wants him, and they want him now, Goal.com writes in their description of the player.
Their team in full;
Julio Cesar - Douglas Maicon, Simon Kjær, Giorgio Chinellini, Paolo Maldini - Esteban Cambiasso, Felipo Melo, Thiago Motta - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Milito, Mauro Zarate.
We were hot on his heels when he was still playing his trade for FC Midtjylland and even before he had actually played a game in the Danish Superleague. I knew very little about him at the time and thought the figured prize in the region of £3M sounded a bit to steep. Anyways it seems the scouts got that one right.
The question remains though; Would he have developed so rapidly this Season had we bought him instead and eased him in at Reserve-level?
It's a hypothetical question of course and maybe he would've developed just as fine but I firmly do believe there's a risk that you'll slow down the developments of Youth-players if they are not getting any playing-time at highest level. Our Reserves simply aren't playing enough games and are evidently not properly matched compared to e.g. Serie A-matches. I don't think there's is any obvious solutions to this challenge and it'll probably just somehow ease the gap between the big leagues as the ones capable of playing youngsters like Kjær will receive a lot of money when he eventually leaves and give them more options on the market.
Anyways, he's now got a buy-out clause in the region of €12M so we're definitely going to pay for Palermo's work with him should we still be in for him. I highly doubt that though as I don't think we're going to spend this kind of money on a defender come Summer.
At least I hope not.
- He's a complete defender who's already got it all - including pace, awareness and aeral strength - the Dane is one of the main reasons why Palermo is battling it out for a place in the Euro League next Season. Every big club in Europe wants him, and they want him now, Goal.com writes in their description of the player.
Their team in full;
Julio Cesar - Douglas Maicon, Simon Kjær, Giorgio Chinellini, Paolo Maldini - Esteban Cambiasso, Felipo Melo, Thiago Motta - Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Milito, Mauro Zarate.
We were hot on his heels when he was still playing his trade for FC Midtjylland and even before he had actually played a game in the Danish Superleague. I knew very little about him at the time and thought the figured prize in the region of £3M sounded a bit to steep. Anyways it seems the scouts got that one right.
The question remains though; Would he have developed so rapidly this Season had we bought him instead and eased him in at Reserve-level?
It's a hypothetical question of course and maybe he would've developed just as fine but I firmly do believe there's a risk that you'll slow down the developments of Youth-players if they are not getting any playing-time at highest level. Our Reserves simply aren't playing enough games and are evidently not properly matched compared to e.g. Serie A-matches. I don't think there's is any obvious solutions to this challenge and it'll probably just somehow ease the gap between the big leagues as the ones capable of playing youngsters like Kjær will receive a lot of money when he eventually leaves and give them more options on the market.
Anyways, he's now got a buy-out clause in the region of €12M so we're definitely going to pay for Palermo's work with him should we still be in for him. I highly doubt that though as I don't think we're going to spend this kind of money on a defender come Summer.
At least I hope not.
