The AS Saint-Étienne is continuing its in-depth restructuring, notably through the strengthening of its recruitment unit. The arrival of Pedro Ferreirinha, newly named Emerging Talent Scout - Europe, illustrates this ambition of modernization and international openness. This initiative, orchestrated by the new majority shareholder Kilmer Sports, aims to correct past recruitment errors and to favour young talent, multilingual and connected to European realities. Ferreirinha, based on her experience at FC Porto and Ajax Amsterdam, will be responsible for identifying sub-exposed profiles, drawing on her technical expertise, video analysis and data sensitivity. This strategy is part of a broader plan to professionalise recruitment and strengthen the club’s competitiveness, drawing on models of clubs such as Monaco and Dortmund.

At the same time, the ASSE is more interested in players coming out of the training centre, with Guillaume Leleu arriving as a specialist scout on post-training. Leleu, a graduate of the AMOS Sport Business School and with ten years of experience in detection, including the LOSC and Brentford FC, will have the task of identifying players between the ages of 18 and 21. This approach aims to capitalize on the potential of young talent, often neglected, and to gradually integrate them into the professional team. Leleu’s arrival is part of a clear desire to value young talent, an economic model that allows to reconcile sports performance with economic benefits.

Finally, the future of Karim Cisse, an offensive medium formed at the ASSE, is uncertain. After a unsuccessful loan to Annecy and an injury, he is currently in his last year of contract and absent from training. This situation could jeopardize a possible summer transfer. Despite a promising start to the 2023-2024 season, irregular performance and injuries slowed his progress. The ASSE will therefore have to convince Cisse to invest fully to regain its place in the team, or consider its departure if no solution is found by January. His journey illustrates the challenges of identifying and managing young talent, and highlights the importance of a coherent and long-term recruitment policy.