City have a rich history of recruiting players from South America. The current first team squad boasts the Club’s all-time leading scorer Argentinian Sergio Aguero, along with Brazilian trio Ederson, Gabriel Jesus and skipper Fernandinho. Amongst others we hear from Director of Football Txiki Begiristain, Managing Director of Global Football Brian Marwood and key figues from City’s LATAM scouting and data insights teams as we explore the technical and tactical aspects that make a player attractive to City.
In Episode Two, our focus is the European market. Take a deep dive into the increasing role artificial intelligence has in scouting with Director of Data Insights and Technology Brian Prestidge in this episode - plus discover why the cognitive capabilities of players like Kevin De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez allow them to move and see the game in a distinct and special way.
Episodes One and Two covered South America and Europe, with revelations about our scouts tracking Gabriel Jesus’ progress in his native Brazil, through to explanations behind why Aymeric Laporte stood out to our data team before joining City. But the third instalment instead focuses on a region with a rapidly rising stock in world football: North America. The United States in particular has been at the forefront of the Women’s game for some time, and Manchester City Women’s Managing Director Gavin Makel lifts the lid on how key names from across the Atlantic, such as Rose Lavelle and Sam Mewis, were recruited. Amongst others, you can also hear a unique insight into how Zack Steffen was identified as a top target to suit our fluid style of play from NYCFC and Scandinavia Scout Lead Khaled El-Ahmad.
The first three editions of the series covered South America, Europe and North America, all of which are already available to watch. Now, the final episode focuses on the Asian and Australian markets, dissecting the diverse challenges and extreme potential these areas possess in terms of talent development. The necessity of similar playing styles and a footballing DNA has been a common theme throughout the SCOUT series, and the success story of Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou, is explored in greater detail. However, the key role of the CFG network is demonstrated in Yokohama’s urgent search for a new centre-forward after a serious injury threatens to derail the Club's J-League title tilt.