"In the world we're working in now," a Head of Recruitment at a European club told us this summer, "you need to take decisions based on gut feeling." Since 2014, @ffwtbollew has been SCOUTED's gut feeling. In our new series, Llew breaks down the basics of his process: from maintaining extensive market knowledge to the things he looks for first when watching a new player. An Introduction to Process (free to read): scoutedftbl.com/how-to-scout…

As prices go up, scouts must go down. The transfer market has split into four and young players are more expensive than ever before. For clubs looking to find value, remain competitive and take advantage of the increasing demand for young prospects, they must keep a close eye on the Big Five third tiers. Using @SkillCorner data, we have identified key attributes that are travelling up the ladder. These players are surviving the jump and, unsurprisingly, they cost less. Whether signing genuine third-tier breakouts, jumping early on a reserve player, or monitoring a successful loan spell, there is value and talent in abundance. Not every third tier is the same. England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany all have their quirks and traps. But keeping tabs on this enormous pool of young talent is becoming increasingly important as the Premier League spending fractures the market further. All of this and more in our latest data dive: scoutedftbl.com/mining-third…