Having your finger on the pulse

For Loan Managers, finding the best loan clubs for their players and attracting interest in their lesser-known talents is a big challenge, particularly if they are relying on their existing network.

Then they have the even harder challenge of determining which clubs are looking for a player who fits the profile of those available for a move at their club, and if the location for their next move matches the level of league and team to further their development and first-team prospects and to enhance their value in the transfer market.

But TransferRoom’s Plus Pitch feature solves all those problems, and Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion are masters at it.

Plus Pitch allows executives to pitch their player directly to up to 20 clubs, to select relevant teams who are seeking a similar player and match the budgetary requirements and level they are looking for.

It’s a tool that played a key role in Brighton moving out 10 players with the help of TransferRoom in the 2022 Summer Transfer Window. The summer before, they used Plus Pitch and Super Pitch to facilitate five deals in a short space of time.

“As I deal with loans out predominantly, it's great to have a finger on the pulse,” Brighton’s Pathway Development Manager Gordon Greer explained at a TransferRoom Summit in the video below.

“Anytime you get an update, anytime a club is looking for a certain position, we can act on it. Within the Transfer Windows, the Plus Pitch is massive. We want to push players who are relevant at that point.

“We look at clubs who could really help them and us. And you can target lots of clubs quite quickly, so it saves a lot of time and effort, and you get responses as well, which is really good.”

Being TransferRoom members allows Brighton direct access to decision makers at more than 650 clubs worldwide, expanding the network of Greer and the recruitment team while opening up a greater pool of loan clubs for their players.

Among those deals, Polish full-back Michał Karbownik

joined German side Fortuna Düsseldorf, becoming a regular starter after a disappointing loan at Olympiacos in the previous campaign, while Republic of Ireland striker Aaron Connolly was able to secure a swift move to Venezia, when the Italian club were searching for a forward.

Brighton youngster Michal Karbownik, on loan at Fortuna Düsseldorf

“Michal was a player who had an unsuccessful loan last year, struggled a bit, and we were just trying to find the right club for him,” Greer said.

“Fortuna Düsseldorf were looking for a full-back and we had been in dialogue, so when the advert came up we just pitched him and thankfully we got a deal done.

“And it's working out. He's doing really well, they're happy, we're happy and, more importantly, Michal's happy."

Venezia were looking for a striker and Brighton met their call with Aaron Connolly

Likewise the changing daily requirements of clubs meant Brighton were able to move fast when Venezia's need for a forward became known.

Greer continued: “Day-to-day we'll check the platform for teams looking for certain positions, and Venezia came up as needing a centre-forward.

“We typed in Aaron, sent it off and within a few hours I was on the phone to Alex [Menta, Venezia Director] trying to get a deal done. The player was keen to get something sorted. It worked for them and it worked for us."