Liverpool FC Forum

by **Reg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:20 am

Benitez has signed 18-year-old Athletic Bilbao defender Mikel San Jose, Bulgaria Under-21 goalkeeper Nikolay Mikhailov, 19, plus Hungarian youngsters Krisztian Nemeth, 18, and Andras Simon, 17, from MTK Budapest plus two more 16-year-olds will be joining the academy from abroad as well as striker Marvin Pourie from Borussia Dortmund and Alex Kacaniklic from Swedish club Helsingborgs.

Question: How much do these 16-18 year old academy lads get paid. Why would a 16 year old leave Braca to join us? What about the 18 and 19 year olds?

Just curious because the boss has got more kids on the books than Liverpool University.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:59 am

I think the two 16 year olds joining the acadamy ARE Marvin and Alex, But probably the most imporant youth signing is Dani Pacheco the striker from Barca.

by **Reg** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:07 pm

Thanks Joe, curious about their wages though.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:18 pm

yea i have no idea. I think I read that there is an age period where it switches from just coming to the academy to train after school to where you are at teh academy full time for schooling and footballing, in which case I think they are paid with in the form of a scholarshp. Even if they do get paid, I am sure it isn;t an amount that is breaking the bank.
Even if a player doesn;t make it to the first team, selling someone that won an fa youth cup that you signed for nearly nothing adn paid nearly noting will get you a marginal profit.

I think there is some law that English clubs can use to swoop in for young spanish talent before the spanish clubs are legally allowed to sign their players to profesional contracts.

Also I think Marvin, Alex and Dani, will be the only ones of the mentioned that will be considered "academy" players. Andras Simon, as well as Gary Mackay Steven (turns 18 August 31), Ronald Huth (turns 18 in October), and Martin Hansen (17) are all players who will be training at Melwood but elligble to be picked for U-18 games like the FA Youth Cup (i.e. Lindfield last year, and Hobbs the year before). Other players might be eligble too, but I am not sure of the cut off date. Coming back to the Academy are Charlie Barnet, Jmmy Ryan and Astrit Ajdarevic. So I expect a 3-peat even though winning trophies isn't the top priority.

Also in young player news Craig Lindfield, Jay Spearing, Ryan Flynn, Stephen Darby and Robbie Threlfall have all signed contracts that will keep them at the club until 2010.

by **Barca Murph** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:32 pm

JoeTerp wrote:I think there is some law that English clubs can use to swoop in for young spanish talent before the spanish clubs are legally allowed to sign their players to profesional contracts.

You are indeed correct. English teams can offer a pro contract at 16, where as in Spain this isn't possible. This has meant in the last few seasons we've lost Cesc Fabregas, Fran Merida, Gerard Pique and now Dani Pacheco.

by **JoeTerp** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:25 pm

"However, he's not the most talented player in this team, where there are Terron(arguably the most talented defender in the Cantera), the German Dennis Krol(strong midfielder, with much quality), The Brazilian Thiago(Son of the Former Brazilian midfielder Mazinho), the Portuguese Alexander Zahavi(a winger with much quality, a little selfish) and of course, the Israeli playmaker and probably the most talented player in Cadet B - Gai Asulin."

PLus I have heard that Dos Santos and Krkic have Loads of potential too but I guess they are further along to be considered youths?

Seems like Barca had enough youth to go around, I doubt they will loose sleep over this one. But, I guess it could become very common place for English clubs to make the swoop on 16 year olds in Spain.

by **Barca Murph** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:42 pm

JoeTerp wrote:Plus I have heard that Dos Santos and Krkic have Loads of potential too but I guess they are further along to be considered youths?

Seems like Barca had enough youth to go around, I doubt they will loose sleep over this one. But, I guess it could become very common place for English clubs to make the swoop on 16 year olds in Spain.

Dos Santos and Krkic are both being promoted to the 1st team squad this season. Alittle early IMO, but i guess only time will tell.

Lets just take the Cesc case. How much would you say he is now worth? Arsenal gave us next to nothing and now have a player worth easily £20million. Hardly something not to lose sleep over.

by **LFC2007** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 11:59 pm

Barca Murph wrote:
JoeTerp wrote:I think there is some law that English clubs can use to swoop in for young spanish talent before the spanish clubs are legally allowed to sign their players to profesional contracts.

You are indeed correct. English teams can offer a pro contract at 16, where as in Spain this isn't possible. This has meant in the last few seasons we've lost Cesc Fabregas, Fran Merida, Gerard Pique and now Dani Pacheco.

I thought it was 17, Theo Walcott signed for Arsenal when he was 16 but he didn't turn pro until 17 which is when his contract began.

by **adamnbarrett** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 12:09 am

LFC2007 wrote:
Barca Murph wrote:
JoeTerp wrote:I think there is some law that English clubs can use to swoop in for young spanish talent before the spanish clubs are legally allowed to sign their players to profesional contracts.

You are indeed correct. English teams can offer a pro contract at 16, where as in Spain this isn't possible. This has meant in the last few seasons we've lost Cesc Fabregas, Fran Merida, Gerard Pique and now Dani Pacheco.

I thought it was 17, Theo Walcott signed for Arsenal when he was 16 but he didn't turn pro until 17 which is when his contract began.

you would be correct.

The lads under 17 will be on YTS contracts. i.e. very low paying, perhaps 100 pounds a week if they're lucky.

The lads 17 and older will be on more than that.

by **Barca Murph** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:11 pm

The slight difference being, English clubs can offer a pro contract at 16 whether or not it can be signed till the player is 17. In Spain a contract can not be offered until the player is 18.

If you think these foreign youngsters are signing for Liverpool on £100 a week wages you must be joking.

by **LFC2007** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:54 pm

Barca Murph wrote:The slight difference being, English clubs can offer a pro contract at 16 whether or not it can be signed till the player is 17. In Spain a contract can not be offered until the player is 18.

If you think these foreign youngsters are signing for Liverpool on £100 a week wages you must be joking.

You can't sign a professional contract until you are 17 so he'll have to wait. He will be on a yts contract where he is paid a small basic wage.

by **Barca Murph** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:58 pm

No he can''t sign it, but he will have been offered one. There is no way he would leave Barca without the security of a contract. And there are many ways around paying a player without it being via a contract.

by **LFC2007** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:01 pm

Barca Murph wrote:No he can''t sign it, but he will have been offered one. There is no way he would leave Barca without the security of a contract. And there are many ways around paying a player without it being via a contract.

Well you wouldn't agree to come here from a foreign country without the knowledge that you have the security of at least a year at the club.
But he will be on a basic wage until he's 17, his parents may have been paid a lump sum to allow him to come over but he won't be on mega-money at the moment.

by **Barca Murph** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 6:20 pm

I agree with that, but the way youngsters are treated at Barca, you would have had to make an attractive offer to tempt him over.

by **JoeTerp** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 8:47 pm

Well I can only hope Pacheco is of the same quality as Fabregas, but he play in CM, while Dani plays ST, and you DO have loads of young talent there already. So although the legal position Spanish clubs are in does cause alarm for the future, this specific signing I do not think Barca will go to war about.

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