When Sparta Rotterdam felt a deal for their number one forward option was slipping away, a meeting at the TransferRoom Summit helped reignite the move.
The meeting absolutely gave us the opportunity to sign Tobias. That was the extra information that convinced us to make the move happen again and push a little bit harder because of the very good feedback from the guys at Odds.
Sparta hopes revived by face-to-face talks
Sparta Rotterdam had done all the hard work scouting and analysing Tobias Lauritsen, lining up Odds BK’s striker for a summer switch to the Eredivisie.
But they weren’t the only club tracking the Norwegian, and fearing they were losing ground in the chase, secured a meeting with executives from Odds at a TransferRoom Summit in Madrid.
Jesper Gudde, Head of Scouting at Sparta Rotterdam, tells TransferRoom: “We had done the data and video analysis on Tobias, but we had a feeling that we were losing the deal or at least there was big competition with other clubs to sign him up.
“It was becoming a very difficult deal. Then I had a meeting with Odds in Madrid specifically to talk about him, to get some more information about the player, what he was like, his strengths, his personality. The off-the-pitch stuff. It was a priority for us.”
Get ahead of the competition by planning ahead
Clubs hold a series of one-to-one meetings with fellow decision-makers at TransferRoom Summits, each one lasting just 15 minutes.
Even though the Summit takes place for many clubs outside of their Transfer Window, those fast-paced talks ensure plans are well-advanced for when business can be done.
And for Sparta that real-time information and direct access to decision-makers helped convince the club to move fast for Lauritsen (main picture, left, with a fellow signing from Odds, Joshua Kitolano).
Gudde adds: “The meeting absolutely gave us the opportunity to sign Tobias. That was the extra information that convinced us to make the move happen again and push a little bit harder because of the very good feedback from the guys at Odds. It helped us a lot.”
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