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Flores Compensation Agreed With Arsenal
Tuesday, 19th Mar 2019 17:44

TWTD understands the Blues have finally agreed compensation with Arsenal for 15-year-old Canadian schoolboy Marcelo Flores, who has been with the Gunners since last summer.

Flores formally signed a scholarship with the North Londoners last week, the clubs having reached an undisclosed agreement.

In September, Blues owner Marcus Evans made his frustrations with the current academy system clear after Town lost Ben Knight to Manchester City for compensation of an initial £1 million plus further top-ups as his career progresses, with Town powerless to prevent the move.

“It is frustrating though to be put in a position where we invest in a young player from the age of nine for several years and then are forced to lose him for a fee well below what I would consider to be a true valuation of that potential,” Evans said.

It’s likely the Flores compensation is lower than the sum received for Knight, while the deal almost certainly also includes top-ups.

Midfielder Flores was spotted aged 13 by former Town academy coach Steve Foley while he was on a coaching exchange in the Caymen Islands.

Flores subsequently joined the Blues' youth set-up and his father Ruben, a former professional footballer in his native Mexico, spent time coaching at Playford Road.

Barcelona, Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool were also reported to be among the clubs interested in Flores.

Flores’s sisters, Silvana and Tatiana, are also young players with Arsenal Women.


Photo: TWTD



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BlueBlood90 added 18:01 - Mar 19
This has to stop. Big clubs should be capped on how many players they can have on their books to stop them just hogging and poaching all the best youth players. Chelsea having 40 players out on loan is a farce and shouldn't be allowed.
28

TrueBlue1996 added 18:06 - Mar 19
Crazy how money and being at a 'big club' is more important to these kids than their actual career
9

iaintaylorx added 18:11 - Mar 19
Such a tough system whereby lower clubs spend thousands on football academies and have no power at all to keep hold of talented kids when a big club come calling! If brian klug said Ben Knight is the best youngster to come though ipswich, then what a player he will be! As for this lad, it sounded he had so much potential but football always favours the rich...
7

Dissboyitfc added 18:11 - Mar 19
Makes me fume, somehow this has to stop. We will never have money to compete at the very top but will be even harder if we cant the ones we develope!
5

therein61 added 18:15 - Mar 19
Maybe a rule where premier clubs can only poach youngsters from cat1 academies could offer smaller clubs more protection.
2

itfcjoe added 18:18 - Mar 19
Good luck Marcelo, a fantastic opportunity
-5

RegencyBlue added 18:39 - Mar 19
Should have gone for CAT 1 status right at the start of this system Mr Evans but of course that would have cost a bit wouldn't it!

Those who signed the petition regarding the Academy at the time were right. You were wrong!!
-1

senduntd added 18:59 - Mar 19
Just tell them to b. off.
Why can't we just defy FIFA and take them to court and let a judge decide
1

Upthetown1970 added 19:07 - Mar 19
Good luck to him he will need it at Arsenal. Firstly I don't think you can sign a scholarship until aged 16. Secondly I believe he was only with our academy for one season so the compensation will be minimal. Thirdly he obviously didn't want to be at our academy to move after only one season. Lastly I believe we have better players than this lad still at the academy coming through so not a great loss. As I said best of luck to him.
1

runningout added 19:13 - Mar 19
We ain't really in a position to wine at the mo.. Sure if incoming funds from them is ok then would be half a bonus
0

boysof1981 added 19:19 - Mar 19
Wouldn't be surprised if he and Ben Knight failed to make a single appearance in a competitive match. Parents saw the £££'s and not the progression of their son.
7

TrueBlue1996 added 19:53 - Mar 19
Boysof1981 completely agree be very surprised if either of them make a first team appearance.
0

NewEraNewMe added 20:26 - Mar 19
Flores definitely has more chance of making it at arsenal, whilst Ben Knight has pretty much no chance of progressing through the ranks at City, he should of gone to spurs, considering Poch himself literally went to meet his family, me thinks the parents chose the money over class.
0

mrmorisato added 23:45 - Mar 19
This is why ME needs to invest more into the 1st team as ITFC do not have category 1 status we will continue to lose our top talent to Premier League clubs instead :(

#EvansOut
0

ElderGrizzly added 02:31 - Mar 20
I've seen a couple of posts saying if we had Cat 1 status this would have stopped it? It wouldn't and Klug has covered that before.

2

Northstandveteran added 08:34 - Mar 20
No, they may never play for City or Arsenal but they do have the opportunity to mix with some of the world's best footballers and have been offered lots of money to do so.
Why wouldn't you?
0

rugbytomc added 10:35 - Mar 20
It's frustrating as a fan to lose talented players - be it first teamers like Waghorn or youngsters like Flores. However, for a young player, in theory, up to say the age of about 18, they would surely develop better at a bigger club who can afford more coaches, and they are surrounded by better players. Then if they are good enough they can either push for the first team (Foden at Man City) or move teams (Sancho from Man City). In an ideal world, there would be a rule saying if you don't give a player X many first team starts by the age of 21 then he can leave on a free.
1

hampstead_blue added 10:43 - Mar 20
One thing not to forget is that youngsters are often the golden goose for the extended family.
This young lad may have to provide for a lot of people.
He is going to always follow the money.

I've no gripes about that. It's more of a cultural thing which we have to accept.
1

tractorintheloft added 12:21 - Mar 20
Hang on...... it's OK for ITFC to poach a 13 yr old from overseas and set his family up in the UK but we moan when at 15 he's moved on to the yet brighter lights of EPL. You reap what you sow etc etc....
1

Upthetown1970 added 12:30 - Mar 20
Rugbytomc being at Chelsea, Arsenal or Man City doesn't mean your surrounded by better players. I know for a fact Arsenal have not beaten our current u16 team for the last 3 seasons. Fact!!.
1

blues1 added 12:37 - Mar 20
REGENCYBLUE. What are you on about? Apart from the fact, being category 1 wouldnt have altered this situation, we did go for cat1. And missed out by, what was it, .5 of a point or less? So u should get ur facts right before posting.
1

RegencyBlue added 20:33 - Mar 20
blues1 - Town initially opted for Category Two status, leading to more than 5,000 supporters signing a petition. Admittedly they then said they would spend thousands on upgrading their staff numbers, facilities and infrastructure in order to apply for top-level Category One status but by then it was too late. The existing Category 1 clubs pulled up the ladder and made it virtually impossible for new Academies to gain Category 1 status. Poor decision by Evans.

And don't tell me being Category 1 status does not get you advantages because why else would those who have it guard it so jealousy?

0

rugbytomc added 09:00 - Mar 22
Upthetown1970 I was referring to slightly older age groups. Flores MIGHT play u-16s, but Knight will no doubt be playing u-18s given he's already 16. Regardless, as they move up the age groups you probably don't have a similar stat and you get the gist of what I was saying. Impressive of the Ipswich u-16s though and probably reasons why we've lost Flores, Knight, Brown and others.
0


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