The Swiss top flight has already been raided once by Leeds United of late – and FC Basel’s Champions League hero Dimitri Oberlin should be on their radar.
That FC Basel continue to bounce back after being stripped of their star players on a never-ending basis should be an example to all clubs about how to plan ahead and prepare for the worst possible eventuality.
Breel Embolo, Mo Elneny, Fabian Schar, Yann Sommer and Granit Xhaka are just a smattering of the players who passed with flying colours from the Basel finishing school before moving on to bigger and supposedly better things elsewhere.
And the perennial Swiss champions, who have won the domestic league in the last eight seasons, will be acutely aware that Dimitri Oberlin’s red-hot Champions League scoring streak will not go unnoticed.
Swiss bliss
The 20-year-old striker, on loan at St Jakubs Park from Red Bull Salzburg, has three goals in three Champions League appearances this season, including two in a Man of the Match performance in last month’s stunning 5-0 thrashing of Portuguese champions Benfica.
And, although Oberlin came over all Ade Akinbiyi with a series of shocking misses against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, the youngster finally got his name on the scoresheet to wrap up a 2-0 win.
With Leeds United in need of one more striker to complete their attacking set-up, The Whites should be keeping tabs on the youngster. Why? Because they know that the Swiss league offers quality players at cheap prices, having picked up winger Ezgjan Alioski from Lugano in the summer.
And because Director of Football Victor Orta has demonstrated a commendable awareness of some of Europe’s ‘lesser’ leagues since taking the job, landing the likes of Samu Saiz from Spain’s second tier and Pawel Cibicki from Sweden.
Oberlin, at just 20, is a huge talent and would be an excellent investment if he lives up to his potential. Whether Leeds could convince the striker to swap Champions League for Championship, meanwhile, is another story.
Calciomercato report that Oberlin is even attracting interest from European giants such as Juventus and Real Madrid. That would come far too soon, however, for a player who has more rough edges than a chainsaw.
A move to Leeds, plus the exposure Oberlin would get in England, would make far more sense for a player with his whole career ahead of him.
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