Limited buying market for top talents

Cortulua may not have a track record of winning major honours like the powerhouses of Colombian football such as Atlético Nacional and Millonarios, but they do have a rich history of developing players who have thrived at international level.

That includes players who have thrived in Europe like Mario Yepes, who played for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan and won more than 100 caps for Colombia.

But Cortulua is typically limited to selling their homegrown players to other Colombian clubs, relying on intermediaries and an existing network of clubs. That restricted access to the market means their transfers don’t bring in the same return in investment as their biggest rivals, both in Colombia and South America's elite football nations, Argentina and Brazil. However, that is set to change.

Cortulua is now ready to do business with clubs from the United States and Europe, having become members of TransferRoom and gained direct access to decision-makers from more than 650 clubs worldwide without the need for third parties.

“Since our club is not well-recognised, the possibility of having direct contact with international clubs helps us improve our reach directly, and not just through intermediaries,” says Oscar Martan, the Vice President of Cortulua.

Martan is targeting Major League Soccer, with all the clubs benefiting from a league-wide deal on TransferRoom, and Europe’s top leagues with the aim of increasing transfer revenue for their players so they can invest back into the club and the development of its senior squad and academy talents.

“We focus on Europe and MLS,” Martan says. “The main clubs and leagues we want to send our players are listed, and hopefully we can reach more agreements in the near future.”

Intelligent transfer business

TransferRoom also provides real-time data on the global transfer market, meaning Cortulua get reliable, up-to-date information on the buyers’ financial and recruitment requirements from the clubs themselves.

“The platform is in line with the goals and objectives of our club, and since we talk directly to the club, makes the approach straightforward,” Martan adds.

“Having the right information on a club's needs is essential for a future transfer. Therefore, as a selling team it's important to have a better target and framework to meet the right criteria."