Why are players leaving Portugal for exorbitant sums? The Big Three continue to trap Europe’s big clubs

Darwin Nunez’s transfer amount is increasing in direct proportion to the growing speculation. It is clear that wherever he heads, his transfer will be one of the most expensive. There is talk of interest from several big-name clubs, led by Manchester United. However, let’s put into context what makes Os Três Grandes successful clubs during transfer windows and how they set such high prices for their players.

Porto, Benfica and Sporting all have elaborate training centres in the first place. They invest a lot of money in individual and collective player development. In addition, each academy has its own uniqueness. For example, Sporting’s youth centre always works to ensure that players leave their hatchery with perfect ball control.

Whether they are stoppers or strikers. In addition, the Portuguese Primeira Liga does not have anywhere near the same income from TV rights as, say, Premier League or Bundesliga clubs. The big three are therefore forced to make money from the sales of their players and become extremely dependent on this income.

The Premier League also plays an important role in keeping transfer sums high. Over the last ten years, up to 68% of transferring players from the Portuguese competition have headed to English clubs. The latter have much higher incomes and can afford to pay the exorbitant prices demanded by Os Três Grandes.

Moreover, they use effective tactics to justify the value of their star players. Footballers train at the club, and are integrated into a tactical system that maximises their potential and level of individual play. Foreign scouts often point to these phrases in their analyses.

Many players arriving at Sporting, Benfica or Porto have to get used to a new tactical scheme that is very different from what they were used to before. Their subsequent transfer to England or other countries is therefore much easier. They are therefore much better prepared for their next engagement. The sporting directors know this, which is why prices remain so high.

So there is an established business model – the vital revenue, the culture of the competition and the DNA of the three clubs (academy, tactics) that influence the price of almost all Primeira Liga players. But there is another lesser-known point that plays a vital role in keeping player prices so high.

Agents who are around Portuguese or South American players ask for commissions, which, depending on the number of agents, significantly increase the final price of the player. In addition, Porto, Sporting and Benfica have three excellent and innovative scouting departments.

Thanks to the large number of scouts working for them, they manage to sign South American players before the Anglo-Italian-French-German clubs. Therefore, the market value of these footballers goes up even more by this fact.

Among all these tools, these three clubs do have something that sets them apart It is worth mentioning Sporting’s excellent academy, Porto’s huge scouting network and Benfica’s high value-added transfers. All for one purpose:: to maintain a viable economic model.

Source: Twitter