Top clubs in Belgium have for years focused on selling their high-priced talent to major European competitions. However, the days when teams like Club Brugge or Anderlecht recruited gems from the smaller teams in the Jupiler Pro League seem to be over. The transfer of Kévin Denkey is a concrete example.
The costly failures of Yaremchuk and Stanciu
Filip Joos raised the possibility for Club Brugge to recruit Kévin Denkey for 14 million euros. However, such an investment would have been risky. The Blauw en Zwart remember the failure of Roman Yaremchuk, bought for 17 million euros, and Anderlecht remembers Nicolae Stanciu, who cost 10 million euros.
Even with Champions League money, Belgian clubs cannot afford more mistakes like this. A single bad financial transaction can be absorbed, but two or three in succession would have serious consequences. This observation explains the comments of Bob Madou, CEO of Club Brugge, affirming that transfers worth more than 10 million euros will remain rare for the club.
Prudent financial management
Club Brugge, like other Belgian teams, must make up a deficit of 30 to 40 million euros each year thanks to income from transfers or European competitions. Rigorous management of funds is essential. While a €6 million purchase represents a calculated risk, large investments, such as those made in players like Michael Skoras, need to be carefully considered.
Today, the stars of small Belgian teams are becoming inaccessible for the country’s big clubs. These talents no longer need to go through a prestigious Belgian club to progress; they can directly join a major competition abroad.
A new path via small teams
Kévin Denkey, transferred to Cincinnati for 16 million euros, illustrates this phenomenon. Major League Soccer (MLS) is gradually overtaking the Jupiler Pro League in terms of financial resources and attractiveness. This progression, both sporting and economic, explains why Denkey chose this destination.
In previous years, several players followed a similar trajectory: Victor Osimhen (Charleroi, 22.4 million euros), Victor Boniface (Union SG, 21.7 million), Cameron Puertas (Union SG, 15 million), or even Ayase Ueda (Cercle Bruges, 10 million). All left small Belgian teams for high amounts to foreign clubs.
Focus on young local talents
With the soaring prices of young international talents, fueled by the “war for talent” between multi-club investors, Belgian clubs are increasingly turning to their own training centers. Institutions like Anderlecht, Genk and Club Brugge invest heavily in youth, a strategy which is profitable on a sporting and financial level.
In summary, for the big Belgian teams, financial prudence has become a necessity, and the emphasis is on local development rather than risky transfers.
