Damien

It's kind of a myth that much of an advantage can be gained from scouting. Occasionally you can unearth a gem or, more likely, take advantage of a misjudgement from a team. However the advantage Arsenal enjoyed with Wenger's knowledge of the French leagues has disappeared. All the major clubs have large and sophisticated scouting networks and usually quality has to come with a premium price. It's all very well to demand cheaper, quality, signings but there is a risk involved when you do that as they may not be consistant. So for every Koscielny you have a Squillaci. This is the risk when shopping for unknowns...