Borussia Dortmund's Sporting Director says that Jadon Sancho's success in the Bundesliga means that more and more German clubs are now looking at English talent.
With the 18-year-old Londoner returning to his home city to face Tottenham in the Champions League this week, after an extraordinary first half of the season in Germany which saw him break into the England team, Michael Zorc says that good attacking young players are more plentiful in England.
With Bayern Munich ready to pay £40m for Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi, 18, last month and with Reiss Nelson, who faced Sancho for Hoffenheim in 3-3 draw, Emile Smith-Rowe (RB Leipzig) and Reece Oxford (Augsburg) all out on loan in Germany, the exodus looks set to continue, with Zorc saying that England is currently one of the best markets, especially for the archetypal modern attacking player.
'I think you can recognise this style but maybe it's not typical English because you can see this also in France, as with Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé,' said Zorc.
'These fast, quick technical skilled players on a high level. We exported Leroy Sané but my feeling is that in this moment England is producing some more high technique individual players compared to Germany.
'We are opened minded for these top, top talents in England but we did this before in France, with Dan-Aexl Zagadou from PSG and Dembélé. When you watch now what happened in the last six months, there are some German clubs that are trying to go this way as well.
'We would favour, of course, to identify and sign young German talents as well, or develop them in our own youth academy which we did in the last years. But when it gets to absolutely top talents, it's more and more difficult to find them in Germany.'
Dortmund started scouting Sancho when he was 16 at England age-group levels and then for Manchester City when they played in Champions League youth games.
'You could easily recognise his outstanding talent,' says Zorc. 'And therefore it was very easy.'
And Zorc says that the ability of Bundesliga team to blood young talent has given them an edge when recruiting English players.
'The biggest advantage - and it is what young boys are looking for - is that they have the chance to play. Because of this difference in money [between the top Premier League team and Bundesliga teams] then maybe the German teams are a bit more forced to give these younger players chances to play.
'We don't say you're going to play definitely. We just say there is the opportunity for you. Sometimes it's very easy just to show the team-sheet and look at the line-up: how many players, 20 years and younger are playing in our team each Saturday? And not in a cup game which is maybe not so important. In important games: against Munich; against Mönchengladbach and also Champions League games. It's a combination of having maybe a better opportunity to play than in the home clubs and at the highest level.'
fopcnrz
0
the big Talents are mostly black players. they are faster and better with the ball. Germans plays with physically strong intelligent players. Germany has many little men too. they are technically better than the big boys. but when you ask me who wins the next world cup i would say Germany because football is a team Sport
Sorry! Germany hasn't many little men
fopcnrz
0
the big Talents are mostly black players. they are faster and better with the ball. Germans plays with physically strong intelligent players. Germany has many little men too. they are technically better than the big boys. but when you ask me who wins the next world cup i would say Germany because football is a team Sport
Veravere
0
Just one average player don't change anything. Even poor footy nations have produced players for bigger clubs too
Cynthiares
0
One season and they act as if he's conquered Europe...
akazoori
0
But we still refuse to play our own talents in this country. National disgrace. Clubs prefer to play bang average or over the hill JF instead of our own. Ridiculous situation
Lanpandra
0
Arsenal play Litsteiner, whose been useless when we could have thrown Nelson in at the same position when we were playing back 3......something wrong with English mentality. And god knows what Carl Jenkinson is thinking. Have the balls to leave and start your career.
davyquan
0
Dortmund is dropping point like a f*** i really hate this
JamesKwoffie
1
sit and hail their his impact whilst they stay 3 goals ahead in the second half of the match, and goes home with a single point.
losdilmnu
0
Sancho has helped English football alone. Something that they couldn't do for such a long time this young man is able to be proud of his achievement of reaching such level of football at his age, where in England he would be wasting away at the bench Dortmund once again believed in young players. If you're good enough, you're old enough. Sancho is helping teams around the world search England for young talent and this will maybe someday make England good enough to do something at the international level finally.