Bundesliga beckons for Perth Glory teenager Jacob Italiano

David Davutovic | Exclusive, PerthNow

December 17, 2017 3:00AM

EXCITING teen Perth Glory prospect Jacob Italiano is on the verge of signing for a German Bundesliga club.

In a win-win, Glory fans look set to watch Italiano’s emerging talent for two more seasons even when he signs for the club.

Italianowould officially join the club when he turns 18 — on July 30, 2019.

It is understood that negotiations have centred on a multi-year deal that would net Glory an up-front payment for the Young Socceroo.

The German club would also make progress payments triggered by appearances over the next 17 months.

Glory have rubber-stamped Italiano’s trip to Germany in coming days and he will likely miss Glory’s visit to Brisbane on Thursday, though he will be back in time for the December 30 clash away to league leaders Sydney FC.

It’s believed Italiano, 16, will travel with his family and agent John Grimaud to conclude the deal.

Glory coach Kenny Lowe had hinted Italiano was attracting overseas interest after his debut in the round 7 clash with Melbourne Victory.

“We’ve given young Jacob Italiano a chance and it’s quite refreshing.

“It’s good for us, it’s good for the club to do that,” Lowe said.

“He’s a kid. Let’s not hype him. He’s got potential, which is brilliant, so we’ve just got to wrap him in kiddy gloves.

“But I was amazed for a boy of that age to cope physically like he did, with and without the ball, And his intelligence to make good decisions, which is very pleasing and good for him.

“If people from the outside are looking in, they’ll go, ‘Ooh, 16? All the best. Give Sagey (owner Tony Sage) a mil ($1 million dollar transfer fee)’. “He’s got half a chance. He (Italiano) just embraced it. The first game I had a moan about him. I said Jake, don’t hide your light under a bush, don’t be conservative. (Last week) he got it and kept it nice. He had one-on-ones with people.

“I said, ‘I’m not bothered if you lose it, you must just go play and enjoy yourself’. He won’t get carried away. He just works hard, if he’s playing crap or well, he works hard.”

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/perth-glory/bundesliga-beckons-for-perth-glory-teenager-jacob-italiano-ng-b88692807z

We just aren’t producing youngsters like we used too ..

Great news, especially if he will be staying here on loan at Perth to get a couple more seasons of experience at home in Australia. He has been very impressive and is playing beyond his years at the moment. If Perth net a decent bit of a dough from this business then that is even more fantastic. This is why youth development and opportunities for youngsters are so important for A-League clubs, it gives them an additional source of revenue and an improved reputation internationally.

Now, if every club could aim to promote and export 2-3 quality youngsters a season and get some cash in the process we would really be getting somewhere!

Was this a similar arrangement with Da Silva and Roma?

With the lesson learned with McGree and Yeboah he better be careful, be careful for what you wish for kid

Staying in the league for a couple season for starters?

Ideally for longer, too many don't play enough games here before moving off anyway. 

McGree has not failed yet, he might well do so but not yet.

Lets see how he is going in a couple of seasons before saying he should stay for longer. He might be destroying the A-league by then.

FMD the kid plays a couple of games and straight to Europe.

At least show what you can do here first for a couple of seasons.

Another kid loses his development by not playing

He will be here for the rest of this season and next season. 

I think two seasons in  the HAL is more than fine before he goes overseas. People are acting like he will be gone in January.

I just hope if he goes, he doesnt come back if its too challenging 

if I'm reading this correctly perth get a payment every time they play him

Great for the young lad. Rest of this season all of next to get the experience needed to move. Hope Perth play him every game. In order for players to become world class this move is required. 

Very interesting... even the big clubs starting to realise its better to keep there here a few more years to develop..

Is it dortmund?

Does he have a euro passport? Might be why they're waiting on him being 18...
Think 18 months isn't long enough in the HAL, but it's too hard to predict how good he'll be in a year's time. At least he'll have more first grade under his belt when he goes than some muppets that go way too early!

Gee they're quick! He's barely played, but that is the trend as people have are discussing in the McGree thread with McGree and Pasquali. I suppose this scenario might be different with the loan, but we've experienced the De Silva scenario too. That wasn't soo bad for the club in the end, but not so great for De Silva. Good to see he's finally settled somewhere and playing regularly, albeit back at the same league level. Perhaps being on-loan two seasons here could be a different. But we also see with Amini how he stagnated with that extra season on-loan with the Mariners in the A-league, but he was a little older by that period if I remember correctly (18/19)?

The world game has revealed Gladbach is the club. They must have scouts out here with Leckie and Yeboah already going there. Unfortunately I've not enjoyed the way Gladbach has dealt with those two players. Every other 18 year old foreigner they've brought in has been given ample chances to play. Leckie performed well in limited appearances and it was baffling they shafted him while Yeboah has just made the first team bench in the league for the very first time despite lots of good reserves performances.

I agree one will be played if good enough but it's frustrating to barely even be given a chance while others are persisted with and perform to an equal and  even perhaps somewhat worse level that Leckie or Yeboah would have reached.

Gladbach must have a thing for Aussie wingers in the A-League....Leckie, Yeboah, and now Italiano.
Any other young Aussie wingers must be on alert :P

They may buy the info

SPOX : What makes Football Radar?
Armitage : We develop statistical models that describe the weaknesses and strengths of teams around the world. I am one of about 70 league analysts, who take the second game class from Brazil to the Australian A-League to examine all possible footballing countries. We collect data to sell to customers - for example, scouting departments of football clubs.
http://www.spox.com/at/sport/fussball/oesterreich/1703/Artikel/tim-armitage-interview-football-radar-englaender-verrueckt-liebt-oefb-team-soriano.html

I remember Leckie was given a few games when he first got there.. Yeboah is a different story... would have preferred it to be Dortmund.. we will see

Leckie, Yeboah and Italiano have the same agent, the agent must have a contact at Gladbach.

He did too :) 

Is that a consequence of injuries/suspensions or good reserve team form? 

Holy fuck. This guy left before he grew hairs on his nuts. IF he was at MV he would have played the season.
wtf we will be bottom soon

Sheesh.

He's playing out the rest of this 17/18 season and then 18/19.

Midweek game and a lot of rotation plus some injuries. Annoyingly the other youth kids retained their bench promotion the following weekend. Gladbach have massive attacking depth. Yeboah might be around number 10 or 11 in the pecking order. 

As opposed to all the other world-class footballers who come through the A-League, spend at least a couple of seasons there before moving to Europe, win silverware with sides in Big 4 leagues and play pivotal roles in the knock-out stages of the European Champion's League.

If the kid turns into the big thing then fair enough, it's a risk worth taking if not he can always come back home. 

i think this is more to do with the law of large numbers than anything else

Appears to be quite the talent. All we can hope for is that he is receiving decent advice on his future