Jon Toral and Sergi Samper
This is a translation of an analysis made by Marti Perarnau, a blogger who is a mainstay contributor for ‘Sport.es’. His blogs and tweets can be followed here and here respectively.
On July 1, Jon Miquel Toral will sign a contract with Arsenal. By then it would be 5 months since from the day he turned 16 (2 February 1995), and with his departure from the Barca youth system, the club will have lost one of its more promising talents. Toral is a sturdy kind of a player. He is not the classic type of a la Masia midfielder but a left-footed central midfielder with very defined qualities: firm, fast, resolute, tall (1.82 m), well-built (72 kg), robust and good in the air – profiles not normally found in Barca, more like Seydou Keita, but has a greater propensity for moving forward than playing defensively. Another unique technique he has is the ability to cushion the ball with his chest, as we’ve seen him doing that from a lobbed pass made 40 meter away, which he then controlled with his foot as softly as pudding.
He came to Barca in 2003, beginning with playing in the Benjamin A under the tutelage of Sergi Domenech. In this team he found someone who would be his dance partner for eight seasons: Sergi Samper, a midfielder with the magic touch in the mould of Xavi and Iniesta. The combination they have is phenomenal and it has catapulted their team, presently Barca Cadet, to levels similar to those of the ’87 generation (Messi, Pique, Cesc …). The media called this partnership the ‘Samper & Toral Limited Company’ but that alliance will end soon, one to the Emirates and the other to the Camp Nou.
Why is he leaving?
It is the will of the boy. Jon Miquel is a clever young man currently studying at year 4 ESO [Spain’s compulsory secondary education] with exceptional grades. It is his over-whelming desire to play in the Premiership. Contrary to what has been said, neither his mother (Sheila Harper), an Englishwoman, nor the rest of his family pushed him into that decision, but quite the opposite. None of them wanted to move to London but Jon Miquel is stubbornly adamant. He wants to play in the English Championship which, given his characteristics, fits him like a glove: a cross between Lampard and Keita.
Toral’s and Samper’s agent, Pere Guardiola, met with both a few months ago in light of the offer received from Arsenal for the two midfielders. Samper said he wants to stay, Toral said he wants to gain the experience. His determination [to leave] is resolute. The boy will now move to London on his own to continue his footballing career while his family remains here in Catalunya.
What is offered by Arsenal?
A professional contract with a salary between 25 and 35 times higher than what he would have received at Barca plus a substantial bonus tied to his first team debut. In addition he’ll get free accommodation, paid-for tuition fees, fully paid trips to London for the whole family, and more importantly, a well laid-out career roadmap designed specifically for him: In his first few weeks in London, Toral will train with the first team. After that he will play for the club’s under-18s while alternating with their reserve team. This plan calls for his promotion into the first team in the 2012-13 season when he turns 18, to be used in non-crucial games, and this is explained to him in person by Arsene Wenger himself.
What will Barca get in return?
Arsenal will pay Barca €500,000 in compensation it is entitled to for his foundation trainings. From an economic standpoint, Barca gets a high return on that deal. In his eight years as a canterano, Toral has only cost the club the taxi charges that ferried him to and from its training ground, in addition to the €30 meal provided to every canterano during matchdays. In exchange, it will have lost one of its most promising players.
Why not keep him?
In Spain, 16 years olds are not permitted to sign binding [professional] contracts. Therefore, any minor of this age is likely to be captured by an English club, which does not suffer this handicap. The only way to avoid the migration of a canterano is by offering him a sum of money to offset any offer, but the amounts put up by many English clubs are just preposterous that the club is just not prepared to match. Barca canteranos earns a small €250 per year allowance, and the first [non-binding youth] contract they sign when they reach 16 entitles them the customary €10,000 per year salary, some 25 to 35 times lower than what they would get at Arsenal. In cases such as these, Barca chooses to try to plead with them to think of their connection with the club or they just have to let the boy leave.
Why did Samper opt to stay?
Last Friday, Sergi Samper announced his decision to sign his first Barca [youth] contract. He did so after listening to the sports plan the club designed for him. In his path are not only Xavi and Iniesta, but also Thiago, Sergi Roberto, Rafinha, Babunski, Nando Quesada and Pol Calvet, at the very least. But he receives ample votes of confidence [from the club] because of his talent. Samper came to Barca when he was 6, and since then has neither known nor feel the colours of other clubs. He and Toral are the best of friends, always spending Sunday afternoons with him, but by Monday, that ‘Samper & Toral Limited Company’ will have passed into the history books.
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