After Mamelodi Sundowns announced Brazilian striker Arthur de Oliveira Sales, Kickoff caught up with a Belgian football expert to make sense of the reported R64 million signing from a European's perspective.
Sundowns have raised their standard in the quality of players they are signing, especially since the arrival of Sporting Director Flemming Berg last year.
Since Berg touched down at Chloorkop, The Brazilians have made big statements in the transfer window after they acquired the signature of Marcelo Allende for R51 million from Uruguayan club Montevideo City Torque.
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Since Allende's arrival, such signings are starting to become Masandawana's forte, after they also brought the likes of Lucas Ribeiro Costa from Belgian club SK Beveren and in the 2024 January transfer window the Tshwane giants also signed another so-called highly-rated South American Matias Esquivel from Argentinian club Lanus.
It's always a wonder that if the South American imports to Sundowns are so good, what are their career ambitions, if they are leaving direct opportunities in Europe for The Brazilians?
Sales reportedly cost Sundowns approximately R64 million, which broke their own transfer record previously held by Allende
Kickoff caught up with a Belgian football expert to understand the perspective of European clubs when such a transfer happens.
"In general, there's a couple of things. Firstly, the perception [in Europe] is that South Africa is not really a selling league, that the clubs are not actually not interested in doing business," a scout of a Belgian Pro League team told Kickoff anonymously.
"They seem to be very focused on what they are doing in Africa, the CAF Champions League and everything else. So I would say the perception in Europe is that a transfer like that would be a transfer for him [Sales] to support them in their domestic league and the CAF Champions League, rather than bringing a player to increase his value and sell him.
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"For example, we [European clubs] don't look at South Africa with too close an eye because we know that the clubs are not trying to move players in the same way as many of the Sub-Saharan African clubs are doing.
"It would not be a good reflection on the player to be at a club like Lommel [from Belgian second division] and go to South Africa, that would not be seen as a positive," the scout added.
Allende, who was on the radar of European clubs, was criticized in Chile for a 'backward' career move to Sundowns, especially after he captained the junior national teams, allegedly influenced by the lure of money, from the general perspective of fans in his native country.