January Recruitment Research: The Balkans

James Doolan spins us through the goings-on in this region of elite footballing talent, and highlights some names for UK clubs to have a close look at along the way

Andy Watson: This is our penultimate piece of January recruitment research, and, to be honest, we are already starting to look towards the summer. It is highly unlikely that you are going to read a name here and go out and sign them before Monday, but there are definitely names that James mentions that deserve a good look at.

The Balkans are a real footballing hotbed, and yet the direct moves from the region directly into the UK are still relatively rare. The young Balkan players are known for their technical skill but also are often physically strong, but on top of that, the Balkan leagues are often really good landing leagues for African talent coming to Europe for the first time as well.

There are a mixture of Band 4 (Croatia), Band 5 (Serbia, Slovenia), and Band 6 leagues in the region, but available talent in all of them.

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