Eintracht Frankfurt is apparently going for a new transfer strategy after the departure of former squad planner Ben Manga.
As “Sport1” reports, those responsible for the 2022 Europa League winner around Sport Director Markus Krösche are increasingly looking to Scandinavia and Croatia in addition to the core market of France. Under Manga’s direction, however, the SGE scouts primarily targeted players from South America and southern Europe.
One signing based on the new strategy is that of Hugo Larsson. The Swedish midfielder is considered one of the greatest talents in his homeland.
The 18-year-old signed a contract with Eintracht Frankfurt last week until 2028. A whopping eight million euros flowed for him to his training club Malmö FF.
Despite his young age, Hugo is one of the regulars at the reigning Swedish Cup winners, which speaks not only for his talent but also for his personality,” Krösche commented on the transfer. “We are convinced that he will bring us a lot of joy in the future.”
Eintracht Frankfurt: Discrepancies with “Pearl Diver” Ben Manga
Manga left Eintracht at the end of 2022 after many years of successful work under Krösche’s predecessor Fredi Bobic. He was involved in successful transfers such as that of Evan N’Dicka, Tuta or Randal Kolo Muani.
According to media reports, the separation also came about because Manga and Krösche pursue a completely different scouting approach. While the current technical director of FC Watford prefers to send his team around the world to observe interesting players on site, Krösche also relies on a data algorithm tailored to Frankfurt’s needs.
Around the transition from Bobic to Krösche, there were discrepancies with Manga – and ultimately the separation and the move of the “Pearl Diver” to England.