The challenge that comes with developing elite talents

Clubs in top South American nations like Argentina and Brazil consistently develop elite talents who grace the biggest stage in world football, and Racing Club de Avellaneda are no different.

The 18-time champions of Argentina have produced the likes of Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez and Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo de Paul in the past, and current Everton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz more recently. Now, as the 2024 Copa Sudamericana and 2025 Recopa Sudamericana champions, they have an exciting crop of players coming through.

But with that comes a big challenge: managing over-inflated squads.

Historically, Racing Club have had no problem finding buyers for their star players, who attract interest from all over the globe, but for lesser-known young talents and rotation players, it has traditionally been much more difficult, and they have had to rely on a limited network of club and agency contacts, mostly based across South America.

That is why Racing have joined TransferRoom, world football’s transfer marketplace.

Through TransferRoom’s online platform, which over 800 clubs and 550 Trusted Agencies across 130 leagues globally use to connect with decision-makers directly, gain real-time market intelligence, pitch players based on what other clubs are looking for in real time, and share their own requirements.

Javier Wainer, Racing Club’s Technical Secretary, who was formerly the Chief Scout of AS Roma, says in our exclusive interview in the video below: “Nowadays, there's a general situation in clubs, no matter what club or where in the world.

“When you arrive, you’ll find a squad with too many contracts because there’s often a fear, for those of us making decisions at the clubs, that we might miss out on that hidden gem.

“So, too many contracts are made with many players. And when you arrive as part of the sporting management, you find yourself, like now at Racing, with 66 players under contract.

“It's something that many don't know from the outside, but you end up spending much more time looking for outplacements for your own players than looking for players to buy.

“That’s the big challenge: being able to reduce the squad and find good places for players who won't have a spot in the first team. This is the challenge we face, and TransferRoom is a tool that is really useful for us.

“It's one of the ways to open ourselves up to the world of football and to places we wouldn't reach without this platform.

“In my daily work, I mainly use it to gather market information, understand what positions clubs are looking for, and what kind of values those clubs in specific leagues can afford for new signings.

“It’s particularly useful for me to think about career plans for my players and to see how we’re positioned in the market.”

Racing Club are one of the latest Argentinian clubs to join TransferRoom’s online platform, and they have also gained access to TransferRoom’s flagship in-person events.

Wainer attended the TransferRoom Summit in Berlin, Germany, where over 300 clubs and 60 agencies met in one place, for two days of direct transfer talks, knowledge sharing and exclusive networking. They get the same amount of meetings and connections in two days that it would take months to recreate.

And Racing also attended the first-ever TransferRoom Summit in Argentina, with 120+ clubs including many top sides across Europe and the rest of the world. It was held in Racing’s home city of Buenos Aires, at River Plate’s Estadio Mâs Monumental.

“In a club with so much talent like Racing, you often have great players in the second team who may not be as visible to clubs abroad because they aren’t playing week in and week out,” Wainer explains. “Those are the players we come to these types of events to offer.”

There are over 800 clubs worldwide using TransferRoom, including Racing Club. You can find out how to join them here.

Agents, get access to the decision-makers at top clubs in over 130 leagues worldwide as a TransferRoom Trusted Agent. Find out more here.