Crystal Palace are reportedly close to appointing a new scout in Alessandro Brito, who was the former sporting director at Brazilian club Botafogo. It has been widely reported that Brito will take up the role of head scout, as Palace transition into a new era under Pierre Sage.
Brito leaves Brazil after six seasons with Botafogo, the same club that former Palace shareholder and football villain John Textor had control of.
Brito was a key figure in identifying players such as Igor Jesus and Jair Cunha, both of whom have since joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest.
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Crystal Palace scouting spreads to South America
Brito will join incoming chief scout Ben Wrigglesworth who signs from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Steve Parish admitted in an interview with The Athletic last season that Palace’s scouting set-up was not a one-man job anymore, and a larger team needed to be assembled to keep Palace in line with the evolving nature of football scouting.
Branching out to South America, where some of the World’s best footballing talent develops, is a significant move for the club.
Having dedicated scouts for this part of the world not only allows Palace to improve their general scouting model, but also have deeper analysis of players before making bids and attempts to bring them to Selhurst Park.
It’s a market that Palace have rarely tapped into before; Matheus Franca is one of the few acquisitions from South American clubs. The 22-year-old was signed with a Ballon d’Or clause in his deal, a feat which is frankly not remotely on the Brazilian’s radar as he has struggled consistently both at Palace and on loan at Vasco da Gama this campaign.
How the move fits Palace’s growth
Palace are in a position where improving squad depth rather than finding starters to strengthen the best XI is the plan. With Europa League football, Pierre Sage has an excellent body of players already at his disposal.
The club’s aim now is to improve depth and ensure that when starters are missing, quality doesn’t drop off too much.
The club managed the Conference League well despite failing to adequately strengthen the squad last Summer. The reaction in the January window was strong, bringing in a combination of future starters and depth players.
Now, the same needs to be done ahead of the new campaign, and the moves the club has made in the background will go a long way in securing another successful campaign.
