Transfer Gurus: Bologna’s Marco Di Vaio

Bergas Brillianto is back with another instalment of our Transfer Gurus series. This time it is Marco Di Vaio, the former Bologna striker turned Sporting Director who, together with Thiago Motta, created the surprise package of Serie A last season

Social media went wild when at some point it was revealed that Bologna had topped the charts for the most goals and assists at Euro 2024. The narrative quickly turned to Thiago Motta’s genius for developing talent – and there’s some truth to that. Motta, the former Bologna and now Juventus coach, has undoubtedly played a pivotal role in the development of his players’ skills and their importance to the national team. The fact that Bologna had nine players in the Euros, rivalling the likes of Liverpool and Juventus, is testament to that.

But let’s not forget Marco Di Vaio. As Bologna’s sporting director, he’s the mastermind behind the names that are currently shining in Europe. Remember Riccardo Calafiori? Di Vaio brought him in when no other big clubs were interested. He’s the man who put together the squad that allowed Motta to implement his tactics on the pitch, leading Bologna to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last season and a Champions League campaign.

Overview: Young Players are the Priority

A year after hanging up his boots in 2014, Di Vaio returned to Bologna as team manager. While his playing career may be more closely associated with Juventus or Parma, he spent a significant four years with Bologna before retiring to the United States. It was this connection that landed him the position of team manager, which eventually led to the role of head of scouting in 2016.

In that role, Di Vaio worked alongside former sporting director Riccardo Bigon. It was there that he unearthed some gems: Takehiro Tomiyasu, Jerdy Schouten, Andreas Skov Olsen, Arthur Theate, and Michel Aebischer. Five of these six players (not including Tomiyasu) are starting at Euro 2024, demonstrating Di Vaio’s exceptional talent for identifying future stars. This success ultimately led to his well-deserved promotion to sporting director in 2022.

Di Vaio may be new to the Sporting Director role at Bologna, with only two years under his belt. But in that short time, he has made a significant impact. He’s brought in a whopping 26 players, either through transfers or loans. The total spent, €98.8 million over two seasons, might raise eyebrows at first glance. However, when you consider the age profile of these acquisitions, it starts to look more like an investment.

Di Vaio’s focus is clear: young talent. Most of his incoming transfers are players yet to hit their peak. In fact, only one of the 18 players acquired through permanent transfers is over 25. This strategy makes perfect sense when you look at Di Vaio’s proven ability to sell players for much more than they were bought for.

Take Jerdy Schouten and Arthur Theate as prime examples. Schouten, scouted by Di Vaio himself, was sold to PSV for a cool €15 million. Bologna’s initial investment? Just €2.15 million. Theate, who impressed in Belgium’s defence at the Euros, was bought for €6.75 million and flipped for a staggering €19 million. These are just two examples of how Di Vaio’s focus on young talent can be a goldmine.

Bologna isn’t afraid to cash in when the right offer comes along, even if it means selling players before they reach their peak. The average age of players Di Vaio sells is 25.2 years old, significantly higher than the 22.5-year-old average of incoming transfers (or 23.12 years old if we counted the loaned in as well). This strategy ensures Bologna keeps a young core while remaining competitive. Bologna also ship out talent when it passes peak age, as the graph below shows.

Another key aspect of Di Vaio’s approach is reducing the wage bill. By bringing in younger players, Bologna’s squad salary has dropped from €34,118,000 in 2022/23 to €31,640,000 last season (according to Capology data). This was achieved by letting go of high-earning veterans like Roberto Soriano, Nicola Sansone, and Gary Medel, while loaning out Marko Arnautovic. In their place, Di Vaio brought in young starters like Lewis Ferguson, Riccardo Calafiori, and Jhon Lucumi, who come with lower salaries.

Despite a younger and cheaper squad, Bologna achieved remarkable success last season, even securing a Champions League spot. While Thiago Motta’s tactics undoubtedly played a role, Di Vaio’s talent identification and strategic squad building were crucial factors. This strategy offers hope for the future, though potential departures of young stars like Zirkzee and Calafiori to the Premier League could pose a challenge.

Finding Gems Beyond the Big Leagues

With a limited budget, Bologna can’t compete with the financial muscle of the big clubs. So, Marco Di Vaio has gotten creative in the transfer market. Forget the usual approach of chasing over-the-hill free agents or past-their-prime stars from Serie A. Di Vaio hunts in different fields.

While there are exceptions like Zirkzee, Sebastian Posch, and Giovanni Fabian from the big leagues (Serie A, Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga respectively), Di Vaio’s real strength lies in scouting beyond the established giants. He scours leagues like the Eredivisie, Super liga Srbije, Switzerland’s Super League, Jupiler Pro League, or even Scotland’s Premiership. Targeting young talent in these leagues requires both creativity and precision.

Take Riccardo Calafiori: despite limited appearances (23 league games with FC Basel) and previously never exceeding 10 Serie A appearances in a season (Calafiori came through at AS Roma but never really broke through despite being highly rated), Di Vaio saw potential. Last summer’s purchase proved a masterstroke. Calafiori blossomed into a star, his ability to push forward from center back adding a new dimension to Motta’s system. Now, after a very strong Euro display, he is joining Arsenal for a fee reported to be almost €50 million.

Similar stories exist for Dan Ndoye, Lewis Ferguson, Aebischer, and Jhon Lucumi. Before Di Vaio unearthed them, they were relatively unknown (although Tifo Football did highlight Lucumi in 2020 as an option for Premier League clubs in a piece co-written by Analytics FC’s own Alex Stewart). Now, they’re vital cogs in Motta’s machine.

Ferguson, for instance, embodies the “hidden gem” concept perfectly. His intelligent attacking play, ability to move into free roles, fill space, and contribute offensively (nine goals) make him a valuable asset. And targeting clubs with a strong reputation for talent identification and development, such as Genk, Basel, and AZ, shows Di Vaio’s ability to identify the right places to look for such players.

If It’s From Big 4 Leagues, Then It’s Mean Loan-Scheme

Di Vaio’s transfer strategy goes beyond bargain shopping in lesser-known leagues. He has also made strategic use of loans, specifically targeting players from bigger leagues. In the last two seasons, eight loan signings have been made, five of them from Serie A, the Bundesliga or the Premier League (six if you include Leicester City’s Victor Kristiansen).

These loans serve as extended evaluations. If they’re successful, Di Vaio isn’t afraid to make them permanent. Arthur Theate, Ebrian Aebischer and Sebastian Posch all arrived on loan before being signed permanently after impressing. Remo Freuler and Jens Odgaard have already secured permanent deals for next season after successful loan spells last term. This approach shows Di Vaio’s meticulousness, especially when it comes to players over the age of 23.

Take Remo Freuler, for example. Despite being 31, he proved invaluable last season. According to Opta data, Bologna scored +10.1 expected goals (xG) with the Swiss midfielder on the pitch – one of the highest xG plus/minus figures in the squad. He was indeed one of the key players for Bologna’s success last season. This underlines the wisdom of Di Vaio’s loan strategy of bringing in experienced talent to strengthen the squad and knit the less experienced, developing talent together.

Let the Post-Peak Players Go For Nothing

As mentioned above, Di Vaio isn’t afraid to show the door to veterans, especially those past their prime. What is even more striking is that he often does it for free. Players such as Medel, Soriano, Sansone, Stefano Denswil, Diego Falcinelli and Francesco Bardi have all left Bologna for free, with some being released by Di Vaio.

The strategy is twofold. Firstly, it reduces the wage bill. In the 2022/23 season, Bologna were 12th in Serie A in terms of wages and finished ninth in the league. Last season, their wage bill dropped to 14th, while their performance on the pitch rose to 4th. Even with a cheaper squad, Di Vaio’s shrewd recruitment ensured that Bologna remained competitive and even improved.

Secondly, he has paved the way for younger talent. Players such as Sansone and Soriano, despite their high salaries at the time, were offering diminishing returns. Their combined Serie A appearances barely reached 25, with just 10 goals and assists between them. Letting them go, albeit on a free transfer, paved the way for Di Vaio to bring in the likes of Zirkzee, Aebischer, Ferguson and N’Doye–a clear sign of his preference for young, productive players over ageing veterans.

New Coach, New Transfer Market, New Challenge

Next season will be a massive test for Di Vaio’s leadership at Bologna. Despite his efforts to keep Thiago Motta, the Italian’s departure to Juventus has forced a change of direction. Vincenzo Italiano, with an impressive CV that includes two UEFA Conference League finals with Fiorentina, looks like a suitable replacement on paper, especially given Bologna’s foray into the Champions League.

The tactical picture, however, raises some intriguing questions. Italiano’s approach tends towards pragmatism and positionalism, a stark contrast to Motta’s more relational style. Fiorentina’s struggles under Italiano have often been attributed to their predictable style of play – a concern for Bologna with a squad built for Motta’s fluid system.

The departures of key players such as Zirkzee and Calafiori add to the challenge. Di Vaio’s recruitment will be closely monitored as he looks for replacements that fit the Italian’s style. So far, his signings – the permanent arrivals of Freuler and Odgaard, along with Atalanta’s Nicolo Cambiaghi, Spezia’s Emil Holm, Real Betis’ Juan Miranda and Stade Reims U19 youngster Naim Byar – have all maintained his under-25 focus. He also shrewdly sold Arnautovic to Inter for €8 million, additionally freeing up money on the wage bill as he was the club’s highest earner.

It is an approach that mirrors Di Vaio’s playing career. Surrounded by the likes of Del Piero and Trezeguet at Juventus, he wasn’t always first choice. However, when called upon, he consistently delivered, demonstrating the “useful player” mentality he seeks in his transfers. Di Vaio favours hidden gems, players who can contribute despite lacking the star power of others. His track record suggests that this philosophy has paid off.

Now all eyes are on Di Vaio to find the right players for Italiano and the existing squad. Can Bologna replicate their success in the Champions League under a new system? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: Di Vaio isn’t afraid of a challenge. He’s already shown a willingness to offload veterans such as Medel, Soriano and Sansone, even for nothing, in order to reduce the wage bill and pave the way for new blood. And his success in selling players for much more than they were bought for, such as Schouten and Theate, shows his keen eye for talent.

While some may question the difference in style between Motta and Italiano, Di Vaio’s history suggests he’ll adapt. He may not have been the flashiest player at Juventus, but he was always a valuable contributor. The same can be said of the transfer business he has handled at Bologna so far. Now he’ll be looking for those same “useful players” who can adapt to Italiano’s style and take Bologna to new heights in Serie A and the Champions League.

Header image copyright IMAGO / Alfredo Falcone / LaPresse

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