{"id":549579,"date":"2020-04-15T06:16:48","date_gmt":"2020-04-15T10:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=549579"},"modified":"2020-04-15T06:16:48","modified_gmt":"2020-04-15T10:16:48","slug":"ajax-top-of-stepping-stone-clubs-says-cies-football-observatory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/04\/15\/ajax-top-of-stepping-stone-clubs-says-cies-football-observatory\/","title":{"rendered":"Ajax Top of Stepping Stone Clubs Says CIES Football Observatory"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ajax<\/a> are the most prominent feeder club for teams in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1, according to a study conducted by the CIES Football Observatory. Overall 22 players from the Amsterdam club were present in the five most major European leagues, up to March this year.<\/p>\n

CIES Football Observatory Says Ajax Top of Stepping Stone Clubs<\/h2>\n

Selling the Best<\/h3>\n

The four-time European champions have often sold their best players to bigger and richer clubs.<\/p>\n

In 1973 Johann Cruyff left for Barcelona<\/a> for 60 million pesetas, while Marco Van Basten joined AC Milan<\/a> back in 1987, where he won two European Cups and three Italian titles.<\/p>\n

After last season\u2019s run to the Champions League semi-final, Frenkie De Jong<\/a> followed in Cruyff\u2019s footsteps to move to Barcelona for \u00a367.5 million.<\/p>\n

As well, Matthijs De Light signed for Juventus<\/a>, and Hakim Ziyech has completed<\/a> a \u00a336 million move to Chelsea<\/a>, leaving the club in the summer.<\/p>\n

Recent reports including one from Dutch News<\/a> via a story in L\u2019Equipe suggest that goalkeeper Andre Onana could be the next to leave Ajax. French champions Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> are apparently interested.<\/p>\n

Benfica Next Best of Stepping Stone Clubs<\/h3>\n

Benfica followed Ajax in second place in the list of springboard clubs the CIES Football Observatory found, having transferred 21 players to the top five European leagues.<\/p>\n

Joao Felix<\/a> moved to Atletico Madrid last summer for a huge fee of \u00a3113 million.<\/p>\n

As well, Ederson and Victor Lindelof both moved to Manchester for City and United respectively three years ago.<\/p>\n

RB Salzburg were in third place, having sold 20 players to the biggest five league clubs. Erling Haaland\u2019s switch to Borussia Dortmund in January was one such high profile move.<\/p>\n

Real Madrid\u2019s<\/a> reserve team, Real Madrid Castilla, were fourth, with 17 players graduating from their ranks.<\/p>\n

There was no Premier League presence in the top 20 launch pad clubs.<\/p>\n

Yet, Leeds United, currently in the Championship, have supplied eight players to the five leagues, and are joint 16th in the stepping stone table.<\/p>\n

PSV a Hunting Ground for Premier League Clubs<\/h3>\n

Premier League clubs have often looked to PSV Eindhoven as a fruitful source for recruitment.<\/p>\n

Overall, eight current players have moved from the Dutch club, Steven Bergwijn being the latest to transfer to England, with a \u00a327 million move to Tottenham Hotspur<\/a> in January.<\/p>\n

Sporting Lisbon has provided Premier League clubs with seven players, while Leeds United have proven to be fertile ground, with six players moving up from the Championship.<\/p>\n

A total of 13 players have been picked up from Real Madrid Castilla, the highest in La Liga, while 12 players have arrived from Benfica.<\/p>\n

Seven players have exchanged Ajax\u2019s colours to move to Serie A, in a similar vein to De Ligt.<\/p>\n

The Erling Haaland transfer to Dortmund was a familiar pattern, as 15 players have transferred to the Bundesliga from RB Salzburg.<\/p>\n

There was a different trend that emerged from Ligue 1, as clubs tended to sign players from lower-division French teams.<\/p>\n

Seven have moved from third-tier Tours FC, and Le Harve in Ligue 2, while six have arrived from Clermont Foot, also currently in Ligue 2.<\/p>\n

This perhaps reflects the general spending power of French clubs outside of Paris Saint- Germain.<\/p>\n

Yet, in total, 42% of transfers were completed from lower division clubs from France, England, Germany, Spain and Italy.<\/p>\n

La Liga on Top for Promoting Youth<\/h3>\n

La Liga was revealed by the CIES Football Observatory to have encouraged youth development the most out of the top five leagues.<\/p>\n

Just over 50% of players advanced to the first team from youth and reserve team leagues, in contrast to 38.6% being recruited from other clubs.<\/p>\n

Yet, the Premier League has promoted a relatively smaller 29.1% of players from their youth and reserve systems.<\/p>\n

Only Serie A has a worse record, with 24.9% being brought through the youth ranks to the first team.<\/p>\n

Italian top-flight clubs also drafted 62.9% of their squads from other clubs, the highest out of the five leagues the report concluded.<\/p>\n

Following that pattern, Premier League clubs brought in the second-most players on from elsewhere, with 53.5% of players arriving from other clubs.<\/p>\n

Bundesliga Clubs the Biggest International Shoppers<\/h3>\n

Nearly three-quarters of Bundesliga players have been grabbed from international markets, the report found.<\/p>\n

Overall 73.7% were bought from foreign clubs. More than the 62.6% average from the top five leagues.<\/p>\n

Premier League teams mostly favoured signing players from within its borders, as 48.8% of players were bought from other English clubs.<\/p>\n

CIES said that the lower number of international purchases from the Premier League of 51.2%, is explained by the number of players that were loaned out to clubs in lower divisions, who then played in the Premier League.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>