Maximising resources

Every transfer is important for Real Valladolid, which operate with one of the smallest budgets and squad values in La Liga.

Aiming to recruit smartly with limited financial and scouting resources to compete with Spain’s elite clubs, Valladolid has joined TransferRoom, gaining direct access to decision-makers at more than 650 clubs worldwide and real-time data and player availability from the global market.

It means they no longer need to waste precious time and money on scouting players who are not available or on potential signings that do not fit with their financial requirements.

Sporting Director Francisco Sánchez Vallejo says that being able to instantly find out if a player is available for transfer - and the selling club’s financial demands - will prove invaluable as they aim to stay in La Liga for the long term. 

Explaining how TransferRoom will fit into the club’s recruitment strategy, Sánchez says: “When we track players, we have some that we call ‘selected players’, who we can make three or four filters for during the season.

Real Valladolid's Sporting Director, Francisco Sánchez Vallejo

"Thanks to TransferRoom, we can now see if any of these players that we have been following have been made available to buy or to loan by their clubs. So, if there is the option to recruit those players, with TransferRoom we can use the work we have done during the whole season.

"We do daily reviews of the players that are offered to us, as well as the other clubs’ requirements in order to pitch our players.

"Such information in the football industry is very important and TransferRoom gives you this information... our objective is to take advantage of that."

Transfer business beyond their borders

The vast majority of Valladolid's squad is Spanish, and the club has traditionally recruited domestically or from neighbouring countries France and Portugal.

Now on TransferRoom, it has opened up to a network of clubs in more than 60 countries worldwide.

Sánchez says: "We have contacts with all Spanish clubs and most of those in the closest countries, but there are emerging markets that are growing a lot, such as MLS and Eastern European countries, where we do not have contacts. Now through TransferRoom it makes it easy to contact any club worldwide with only one message, and to do transfer business, both in and out."

For Valladolid, TransferRoom will also help uncover loan opportunities for their young players in need of first-team experience, which in turn will raise the value of the squad and potentially lead to big sales in the future.

"The main objective is to stay in La Liga and the second goal is to be able to transfer out players which leads to income for the club, so we can grow," explains Sánchez.

"I consider TransferRoom very useful for out-placing players that, for example, we have signed on long-term contracts and we want to find an option to loan them out so they can progress in their careers.

"And it’s useful for identifying clubs that could loan out players to Valladolid, or for an opportunity for us to sign a player that we thought was not possible, but thanks to TransferRoom we can see that his club has made him available to buy or to loan.

"It is a very complete tool, very simple to use and very important for any football department."