Alexis Mac Allister proves an important transfer point, one which Liverpool and FSG needs to pick up on. They might just have been shown a good place to start.
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Without club football the summer provides an opportunity to discover new trends in the world game, with so many major international tournaments on the go. These are trends Liverpool should be keeping a close eye on with potential new markets appearing on the horizon.
This becomes especially pertinent with the FA’s latest amendment to work-permit rules for Premier League clubs, with an exemption to the points requirement permitted for up to four players. That opens up new avenues to FSG and Liverpool and the club should look to take advantage.
With clubs like Brighton already exploring ‘untapped markets’ and having great success through the likes of Moisés Caicedo and Liverpool-bound Alexis Mac Allister, a precedent has already been set for the Reds to follow.
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And one of the most interesting markets to emerge recently which remains untapped is that of Israel.
Israel is a country without much recent success on the international footballing stage. However it does have a strong affiliation with Liverpool because of Yossi Benayoun. Arguably one of his country’s best ever players, Benayoun spent several years at Liverpool and became a cult hero before moving to Chelsea and then later Arsenal.
Even with Benayoun though, Israel never achieved much success on the world stage, but that could be about to change.
An exciting generation of stars are now catching the eye at youth level, and they could herald a golden era for Israel.
Last year Israel caught the eye at the U19 Euros, marching all the way to the final of that competition and coming close to beating England.
That tournamet unearthed a gem of a star in Oscar Gloukh, who has since moved to the renowned Red Bull Salzburg, known for producing players like Sadio Mané and Erling Haaland.
But Israel proved they were no one man team. At the U20 World Cup this summer the country achieved a third place finish, beating the likes of Brazil and only losing to eventual champion, Uruguay, without their star man in Gloukh.
Now he’s back for the U21 European Championships, where Israel have once again caught the eye, qualifying for the quarter final and knocking out Germany and Czech Republic en route.
Now only an impressive Georgia side separates them from another semi-final appearance at a major youth tournament over the last year.
The country’s success at this stage cannot go unnoticed. Clearly, there is a lot of good work being done at youth level in Israel to have created such an impressive side and with the FA rules now relaxed over work-permit requirements, Liverpool could look to tap into that market to unearth more potential young superstars like Gloukh.
Given how FSG invests little into Liverpool, tapping into markets like this and utilizing the FA’s new rules to the club’s advantage could be a way to make sure the Reds are able to stay afloat and compete against their rivals.
As Brighton has proved, there are gems to be found all around the world, and Israel might be a great place for Liverpool to start implementing a similar approach.