Mamelodi Sundowns are believed to be planning to overhaul their scouting methods, the Siya crew has been informed.
The changes are understood to be related to how the club scouts players in South America.
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Insiders close to Sundowns have indicated that the club’s management and board have decided the current approach is not consistently delivering the expected outcome. When one accounts for the cost of scouting in South America, the question is whether the tremendous efforts have been worth it.
In the past seasons, Sundowns have brought in several South American players, including Arthur Sales, Lucas Suarez, Erwin Saavedra, and Matias Esquivel. However, while these signings showed flashes of potential, their performances have not consistently met high expectations.
"For now it's believed that the club wants to put a stop at scouting directly from South America. They apparently believe that they have not reached the standards they had in the past except for a chosen few while the others haven't really lived up to their expectations. So for that reason they want to change the approach from next season," the insider told the Siya crew.
A second insider stated that the Brazilians are looking to revert to scouting in West Africa and other parts of the continent, regions where they’ve previously found success. This shift could potentially allow them to recruit quality players at a much lower cost than South America.
"Apparently they have gone by to send scouts to West Africa and other parts of Africa where they used to scout in the past and get good players who could even come at cheaper prices than the others and still do a better job. All that is believed to possibly start from next season," the second insider revealed.
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Although Sundowns have encountered challenges with certain South American signings, the club has also hit the mark with players like Leonardo Castro, Jorge Acuna, Jose Torrealba, Ricardo Nascimento, Lucas Ribeiro Costa, and Marcello Allende, all of whom played significant roles at various times.
The potential strategic shift reflects Sundowns’ determination to maximise their recruitment efforts and maintain their dominance in the PSL while preparing for the challenges of CAF football.
