Marc Overmars has achieved many more successes than setbacks at Antwerp FC in terms of prizes and prestige, and the results of the Director of Football Affairs can also be called predominantly positive on the transfer market.
Yet there is one failed transfer that leaves a small stain on Overmars’ reputation. The transfer of Christopher Scott last summer, when Overmars made his first public appearance as a sporting leader, did not meet the high expectations that had been created around him.
Strategic purchase
Marc Overmars and Mark van Bommel have both had impressive careers as international top football players, and they understand the importance of a balanced and well-composed selection. The club therefore not only focuses on experienced players, but also on ‘strategic purchases’ with great growth potential.
Soumaïla Coulibaly and George Ilenikhena were recruited in this way this season, while last season Anthony Valencia and Christopher Scott serve as examples. The latter was taken over from Bayern Munich for €1.5 million last summer, and high expectations were created around him.
When the transfer from Scott to Antwerp FC was completed, a photo was distributed showing Marc Overmars together with the German acquisition. This was the first time that Overmars was portrayed in such a public way at the club.
The positive comments in the media further raised expectations around Scott. The last news called him a “potential goldcrest” and reported that Mark van Bommel is a big fan of the attacker, which also influenced Scott’s choice for Antwerp FC.
The new Havertz
BILD Christopher called Scott “a jewel” and in Germany he was compared to Kai Havertz. Hansi Flick, Bayern’s coach at the time, praised his speed, ball skills and excellent performance in training.
Holger Seitz, the head of the Bayern academy, predicted that Scott had all the necessary qualities to follow a similar course in Belgium like Joshua Zirkzee, who was loaned by Bayern to Anderlecht with great success.
At Antwerp, the German youth international was seen as a candidate basic player who can play in various positions in midfield.
A mix between Kai Havertz and Alfonso Davies: who is Christopher Scott, the “jewel” of Bayern Munich, who arrives at Antwerp? https://t.co/L9dcV5CmYe pic.twitter.com/HUpXStgtiN
– Sports + (@lessportsplus) June 28, 2022
Scott is known for his speed, good dribbling and ability to operate between the lines. He prefers to play just behind the deep striker. “Christopher brings quality to the ball, is fast and makes smart runs,” Vincent Janssen concluded last year. “It clicks between us.”
Mark van Bommel did not have such a creative type with an enormous amount of quality on the ball in his selection at the time, but Scott was not a finished product either. “Van Bommel would have a rough diamond, the question now is whether he can also cut it,” wrote Gazette of Antwerp just after Scott’s arrival in Antwerp.
Never started in competition
Christopher Scott could speak German with Mark van Bommel, who also spends a lot of time with the young players in the group and gives them tips all the time. Although van Bommel was reportedly a big fan of the attacker, Scott rarely managed to get his coach’s attention.
During the training camp in Austria, the German had to deal with minor injuries, so that he had to chase from the start. However, Scott pushed hard to earn a place in the team and hoped to get as much playing time as possible.
“I want to be able to teach the team something and gain experience in the meantime. As for the team, we dream of taking the title,” he said in an interview with The last news. Antwerp FC surprisingly captured the title last season, but Scott was unable to meet his individual goals.
He hardly contributed anything to the team and has also been able to gain little experience. For example, Scott never got a starting place in the league, but twice in the cup. Scott was unable to fully prove himself at Antwerp FC and he was unable to live up to the high expectations.
Return ticket to Germany
Christopher Scott mainly had to show himself during raids, but failed to make a difference and was often invisible. “He could never prove why he was called a top talent at his former club Bayern Munich,” concluded Gazette of Antwerp already in January.
Scott also rarely got the chance to play in his preferred position, just behind the striker, as Mark van Bommel viewed him more as a winger. At the moment, Scott seems to be on his way to a departure from Antwerp FC, as a transfer to Hannover 96 is becoming more and more concrete.
In this way, the once ‘strategic’ and ‘first visible’ purchase of Overmars disappears silently back to Germany.
???? DONE DEAL! Christopher Scott will join @Hannover96 ✔️
➡️ Medical today
➡️ Signing today
➡️ 1-year-loan with an option to buy of around €1m!Smart deal from Sporting Director Marcus Mann. @SkySportDE ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/sKgFPaJrW5
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) August 30, 2023
2023-09-01 09:50:00
#Horror #transfer #firm #dent #Overmars #reputation
