French connection grows: HSV find France a transfer goldmine | OneFootball

After joining last summer, Rayan Philippe coined the term “French Connection” at HSV. That group has now gained another member.

As recently as Monday, the Rothosen brought Martin Adeline from Ligue 1 newcomers Troyes to the Volkspark for around four million euros. The 22-year-old had been closely monitored over a long period of time. “Sebastian told me they had scouted me 20 times. Ten of those were at home matches in Troyes,” the Frenchman revealed, referring to chief scout Sebastian Dirscherl. At the beginning of April, Dirscherl had even gone to see Adeline in person and was in the stadium live when he scored for Troyes against Montpellier.

There are several reasons why HSV is increasingly looking to France. For one, the country has for years been regarded as probably the biggest producer of talent in Europe. For another, there are many players there who, despite their huge potential, are still financially attainable. Accordingly, HSV has a full-time scout assigned to the top two French divisions. This was reported by the Hamburger Abendblatt.

However, the path to a transfer is by no means determined solely by a player’s nationality or background. First, head coach Merlin Polzin and his staff define the player profiles they need. Then sporting director Claus Costa and Dirscherl draw up a list of candidates. In addition to live impressions and video analysis, data analysis, personality profiles, and direct conversations with the players also factor into the assessment.

Photo: IMAGO

Adeline has plenty of points of contact at HSV

In Adeline’s case, the verdict was apparently clear-cut. For the sought-after profile of a creative attacking player with high intensity out of possession, the youngster is said to have been right at the top of the list.

Another factor was also relevant: the French-speaking environment at HSV. With Jean-Luc Dompé, Rayan Philippe, Warmed Omari, Albert Sambi Lokonga, as well as assistant coaches Loïc Favé and Basil More-Chevalier, there are plenty of people he can connect with. Until just a few weeks ago, William Mikelbrencis and Aboubaka Soumahoro were also under contract on the Elbe as two more French-speaking players.

“That definitely played a role in my move,” Adeline admitted. Nevertheless, the new signing made it clear that something else was decisive for him: “What convinced me most was HSV’s project.” If Adeline turns out to be a real hit, the French Connection at HSV will likely only continue to grow in the future.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.