Monaco’s sister club Cercle Brugge have struck gold once again with exciting Ecuadorian youngster

Cercle Brugge have, in recent years, been one of the best Belgian sides other than Union St Gilloise when it comes to recruitment. Even though they have strong links with Monaco, the side have their own scouting department that scour other lesser known leagues to find new and emerging talent. This year, 20-year-old Ecuadorian winger Alan Minda is the latest to showcase the clubs eye for talent.

Minda, who possesses great pace, has been one of the most exciting players in the Belgian Pro League during this campaign. The international has scored eight goals and provided six assists in 31 games since joining the side from Indepeniente Del Valle in Ecuador, where he made his debut as a teenager. The side have once again struck gold, having spent €2.00m on the winger over the summer and handing him a contract until 2028. They should easily make a tidy profit on this when they do eventually sell Minda on, and it would be easy to imagine plenty of sides are beginning to scout the winger.

Cercle have always realised that, in the long run, the talent they acquire will eventually be sold. As a result, they have looked to bring in players before they lose those that are already established, so that they continue to have a conveyor belt of talent going forward. This approach, alongside the excellent coaching of Miron Muslic and his staff, has seen the side aiming for European football this season.