Today let's talk about Belgian side Club Brugge. For those who don't know, Club Brugge have three goalkeepers under contract.
Simon Mignolet
34 years (contract till 2025)
Marketvalue: € 6.500.000
Senne Lammens
19 years (contract till 2023)
Marketvalue: € 800.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2027)
Sorare limited price on 27/3/22 7day average: 0.03 eth
Nick Shinton
20 years (contract till 2023)
Marketvalue: € 250.000 (under23 in SO5 till 2025)
Sorare limited price on 27/3/22 7day average: 0.008 eth
Under normal circumstances the situation with the gk in Club Brugge is not that complicated to explain. There is a very clear number 1, Simon Mignolet.
If you follow international footbal, you should know Mignolet from his time in Liverpool. Where he became the number 1 for a couple of years after his transfer from Sunderland, although the latest big succes of Liverpool under Klopp, was after he lost his spot as 1st gk. When he didn't play any official league match in the season 18/19 he knew it was time to go to another team. There were a lot of statements that he himself wanted to go to a topclub, but there didn't arrive any decent offers. At that time there were also lot of rumours off course, where the top Turkish teams were amongst the favorites in the media, so it was a huge surprise he ended up in Belgium again.
Topcontracts in Turkey or other top5-league teams are simply not affordable for Belgian teams. So it's fair to say he is one of the best paid players in the Jupiler Pro League, maybe the best, who knows.
Club Brugge has always been a top4 club in Belgium, who once a while won the league title. The latest decade the club suffered a lot with their goalkeepers,
there were a lot of changes of first goalkeeper and nobody could actually ever convince a full season. Bringing in Mignolet was a great move for the club, which paid off winning two titles in a row. He was by far the best gk in the league and, more important, he won a lot of points for his team. Awarded twice in a row as best gk, might make you understand his quality is above any other goalie in the league, but.... This season, it's not that great anymore, he is making some errors which we never saw in the last years.
A common critic is that he adapted his level to the league, meaning well it's just average performances all over the season. Off course you still once and a while see his talent and quality, but for the first time ever, there are question marks behind his name, and before this season nobody would ever expected that.
On twitter, fans start to ask in changing him for Lammens, but there is not any indication from the club or manager that will happen.
We have to bear in mind he has a huge contract, ending only in 2025, so i would see it very weird if they bench him. Unless the club wants to get rid of him, and he would like to move himself, he can go to another team. But i do expect him to stay in Brugge and be their number one, at least for next season.
Talking about Lammens, this guy is a huge talent. Got his chance in preseason and the first league match, where he showed he is someone to watch for the next seasons. After Vandevoordt (i am sure you know that guy) he is the number 2 with the Belgium U21 team.
Important to understand is what will happen with the Under21 club teams in Belgium next season.
The best 12 u21 teams are in a league this season, where the top 4 will play in the Pro League 2nd division next season. It's not new, many other leagues in the world do the same having their u21 teams playing the pro leagues, but for Belgium this is new. Genk and Anderlecht u21 already assured their selves a spot. Club Brugge is making a good chance to have that spot as well. If they are not in the top 4, they will
play in the 3rd division next season, so no under21 leagues anymore for those topteams next season.
I am telling you this cause with Lammens there are some possibilities the coming season. If the under21 team is in the 2nd division its not a bad experience to play there next season. Being that talented also wouldnt be suprised if lowertier teams in Belgium (teams like Zulte-W, Oostende, Kortrijk) might ask for him on loan to have a very cheap solution for their 1st goalkeeper spot. But he can also just stay the number 2 after Mignolet, or who knows, win the 1st gk spot.
Nick Shinton is the number 3, and also the number 3 for the U21 Belgian team, which means this guy is talented as well. Might be an option for the U21 in Brugge next season. Both young goalkeepers have a contract till 2023, i am very curious if they will renew their contracts, and if not, what will happen. It's clear the club has to give both a plan for future this summer.