AndyProutchkine

Just wandered. How often do EPL clubs off-load unneeded players to the very bottom divisions?

I mean, with my Altrincham scout finds a player from Aston Villa, whom he believes to be a good signing. Me too, actually.

The guy's set available for both loan and transfer. I'm quite sure about loan - it's rather difficult.

But to sign him? He's young, he's got to make a name for him, and he can do that with us He's joining us within a month after his current load deal finishes, and i'm looking forward to his move as our best transfer success so far. Still - how often does the like of this happen IRL?

bigpants

for me it depends how young and how good he is. If he is about to be cut at the end of his contract, then it shows he wasn't good enough to be there. If your scout found him and you put an offer in for him think about being realistic, a manager wouldn't (generally) spend over the odds for one player at your level.

If your looking at young players who have been signed and EPL clubs want to find out if they have want it takes they will get them games at any level.

I would look at his stats, look at where he has been on loan and see how realistic it looks for him to move to your club.

AndyProutchkine

Well, being transfer-listed shows he's not in the club's plans.

Being valued at 550K, but the transfer was arranged for 5K, though all the transfer money we have left

Right now he's on loan at Worchester, and his 6.75 in 4 matches shows he's not a kind of monster. Stats are, let's say, "normal". So i look at this situation in this way - the guy's been transfer listed and was let go on loan to play some football and attract potential buyers (which happen to be us accidentally). Problem was simple - no higher club was interested in him, and no lower club could afford his transfer.

And we were not interested in loaning him, mainly because of my transfer policy - no loans in. Well, "yes" to loans in only with future possible fee agreed.

Here in Russia there were some young reserve squad members who failed to battle their way into the first team and were sold to lower league clubs for close to nothing, or given away on long-term loans. In England, as i see, this situation mostly applies to *older* players who don't have good physical conditions anymore to play on high-level. But with younger one?

phnompenhandy

I managed to sign an EPL player for Bradford PA in the Conference North.

He'd been on the books at Villa but was a jobbing loanee for about 4 years. My scout found him on loan at a non-league side and he signed for me.

So I suppose he didn't directly drop down the leagues as such but it was Villa I paid the dosh to.

Braindrain

I have taken a couple of players from EPL clubs. However When I approached to sign or wanted to make an offer we were too far apart (i.e. I had no budget and they wanted something for him). However come the close season a couple of players I was interested in were released and despite being valued at a few grand I signed them for free. Am quite surprised how many decent players are around without a club in the closed season since 5.0.3. I had 12 young strikers on trial last night at the same time!! Trouble was my best coach thought I should sign them all.

Guinness79

Do you think it's realistic that a Conference Regional team will attract any player from the EPL? This topic has been mentioned way too many times, and the answer is always the same, you should know that by now, Andy.

Matt - SEGA

Its an interesting question.

My feeling is that its pretty unlikely. I've just looked through the transfer list since Christmas and couldn't find a single example of a Conference side taking a Premiership player on loan.

I guess that any youngster (16 or 17) would either be released, or receive better training and tuition at the Premiership club.

As they get older (18,19,20) they're either going to need first team football at a level that is valuable if they're going to be in the Premiership - so pretty much league football - or they're going to need time in the reserves honing their skills, or they're going to get cut.

If he's listed and will come to you, I'd say that's fair enough - but a loan signing is not that realistic. If he was good enough to go elsewhere, someone else would be in for him.

phnompenhandy

My guy had never played in the first team in the EPL and had been plying his trade in League Two and Conference National for 3 or 4 years. My scout recommended him to me legitimately and he was a good back-up for me. My conscience is clear.

UELLfan

[East Lothian School of LLaMaism]


Trouble? I can't see where's the problem here... To fetch a pearl you must get through one thousand oysters.
[/East Lothian School of LLaMaism]

iajafer

Here's where the definition of realism is fuzzy in LLaMaland.

I've been watching the FA Cup this season since the first televised game (at Thurrock). It's struck me how often, when the commentators and summarisers go through the teams, the names of ex-ManUre, Arse and other EPL teams' ex-youth players come up in the very low echelons.

There's currently an ex-ManUre youngster who was lauded as a youth and is playing League 1 football, has been at the same team since the old Division 3, and is holding out on a new contract at said team until all avenues for a return to higher status football have been closed (sound familiar?), this is real life, btw, you may know the situation I talk of.

I have no problem with signing EPL players for Conference teams if they're found within the LLM Ethics, obviously, on loan or on a free.