After the latest news it looks like it could be us so for people that don't know much about him.
From a French journalist -
After what was quite simply a superb season for the Tours FC striker, few players in Europe have been surrounded by as much transfer speculation in this current ‘Mercato’ as Andy Delort. The 22-year old has been linked with clubs as grand in stature as Feyenoord and Athlético Madrid, but it now looks like he will be on his way to the English championship after telling the French media yesterday that he had agreed terms with an unnamed club. His current side have explained that two English sides are extremely keen on acquiring their goalmachine’s services. The Sète native was once described fairly by France Football as being a player who ‘gives the impression as somebody who has lived a thousand lives’ within the game, and a quick look at Delort’s career history really does reveal the truth in that turn of phrase. After leaving his local side FC Sète for Ligue 2 club AC Ajaccio, the 17-year old Delort became an extremely prolific goal scorer in his new side’s U19 set-up. In the French u19 championship, Delort finished his first season with the Corsican club as the league’s top scorer, notching up an impressive 30 goals and his form didn’t go unnoticed. Delort was promptly invited to Germany by an agent, where he went on trial with Borussia Dortmund’s reserve side. He found himself playing in the same side as Shinji Kagawa and Mario Götze and made a good impression by scoring four times in two friendly games for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Such was the club’s confidence in his abilty, Delort was eventually offered a three-year apprenticeship contract with Dortmund, but he refused the offer. The ambitious 17-year old decided to sign instead for Ligue 2 side Nimes, with the promise of regular first-team football acting as the main lure to the Stade des Costières for the striker. By the start of the 2010 season, Delort had finally made his way back to Ajaccio, and it was from this period onwards that he began to make serious progress as an up-and-coming French football talent. The striker became a regular in his side’s set-up and by the end of the 2010-2011 season he achieved promotion to Ligue 1, as well as a call-up to France’s U20 squad. He did however begin to develop a reputation as a fiery and at times aggressive character, most notably after his involvement in an on the pitch brawl in an away match against Nantes in March 2011 which led to a four game ban. Delort has since put the incident down to a ‘youthful mistake’ from which he has learned a lot. It would be fair to say that before the begining of last season, Delort’s career had been somewhat tumultous. However, one must bear in mind the 22-year old’s youthfulness. His potential has always been unquestionable, and it seemed that last season, everything just ‘clicked’ for the striker. Delort stated at the start of the season that his confidence in his move to Tours in 2013 was down to the fact that his current coach Olivier Pantaloni ‘believed enormously’ in him. His coach’s personal belief and confidence in him, added to his own vast experience of the footballing world and ability at such a young age, seems to have been the perfect combination for Delort. He scored 24 times last season for les Tourangeaux, making him the joint top scorer in Ligue 2 with SM Caen’s Mathieu Duhamel, as well as helping him to be named in the UNFP (French Professional Players’ Union) Ligue 2 team of the year and to winning the France Football’s Ligue 2 Gold Star for the season. In tactical terms, Delort is an extremely desirable player to have in a squad. His technical ability is unquestionable, and this was most obviously on show in what was most probably the 22-year old’s highlight of the season, during a 2-0 victory against SCO Angers in March. Just after half time, Delort finished in his own typical style. After superb link-up play, he cushoined a header to one of his teammates. Delort then used his pace to make a run in behind the centre-half to meet a through ball which he met with ease and dispatched past the keeper. However, it was Delort’s second goal that would grab the headlines. The striker met a pass played in to feet on an angle, and from about 20-yards out fooled his marker by juggling the ball on foot and then sent what was described as an ‘unstoppable’ volley past the helpless Angevin goalkeeper. The Sète-born striker’s main strength lies heavily in his finishing, most notably in his ability shoot while running, using the pace of the ball to aid his delivery. For an almost 6ft tall striker who weighs 82kg, his pace is extremely impressive and this often helps him to pressurise and get in behind centre-halves to score. Delort’s hold-up play skill combined with his impressive dribbling abilities makes him much more than just a goalscorer, with him often becoming involved in build-up play. He’s also proven himself to be a player who is not afraid to come back down the pitch to tackle and help win back possession. Despite the fact that Tours’ offensive prowess aided Delort in what was by far his most consistent first-team season goalscoring-wise, les Tourangeaux’s weakeness in terms of winning back possession often meant that Delort’s drive was essential as part of their defensive game. I for one would be sad to see yet another talent like Delort leave French football but we could reason that, after turning down a move abroad so early, the 22-year old certainly feels ready to leave his native country to further his career. He has always stated his desire to play in England , describing the possibility last year as ‘a dream’. Delort will certainly be an influential addition to whichever club manages to reach an agreement with his current side. He’s a 22-year old with an extremely bright future and I’m sure that if he realises his potential in England he will certainly have a notable impact.
These reviews make him sound like a very exciting player. But I just can't square it all with the idea that he is targeting a move to Charlton or...er... Brentford. Has he seen Griffin Park? Similarly there's something a bit implausible about him turning down a career at Dortmund to return to Nimes. I note that Nimes is basically "going home" for a kid who comes from Sete.
But that's just a view of what I have read here, nothing more.
Like yourself Prague, I have read the piece about the lad and thought that surely he would be looking at the Premiership. Something not quite right here, but an awful lot that sounds very exciting.
If the above is true, it would appear Delort would rather play, than have been stuck in Dortmund's youth or reserve team. This would also account for why he would rather come to a Championship side, than a Prem team. If he's successful, he could be snapped up by a Prem team soon enough & then have a better chance of first team football. Surely, this is what most Charlton fans agree with ? Many have been critical of the likes of Poyet moving on, saying he'd play more regularly in The Championship. I still think he'll sign for us & will be very pleased if he does.
noticed it has been mentioned on twitter on @transfer_news24 which is dedicated to the championship, they are normally very accurate as well, they have said Charlton are close to signing Tours striker Andy Delort in a €3m deal
Agree that this very exciting player should be choosing us seems a little odd but there may be several reasons. First team football would for some players be more important at age 22 than bench warming at best at a higher level particularly if the player has the confidence in his ability that makes him think playing games and getting his profile up there is better than a slow burn PL move. (Diego Poyet take note ).
The player is also quoted as saying the clubs ambition is very important. Perhaps Katrien and Bob have shown him a glimpse of their future plans.
Most likely though is that I doubt there has been any serious interest from "bigger" clubs (Wednesday excepted ;0)). I don't see a queue of clubs from the PL lining up to sign Baldock or Agard ?
Perhaps we are just the club in the right place at the right time for once ?
noticed it has been mentioned on twitter on @transfer_news24 which is dedicated to the championship, they are normally very accurate as well, they have said Charlton are close to signing Tours striker Andy Delort in a €3m deal
Yes - they have always been 100% accurate with Vetokele, Gudmundsson, and Tucadean. And with 18,700 followers, it is a proper account.
If the above is true, it would appear Delort would rather play, than have been stuck in Dortmund's youth or reserve team. This would also account for why he would rather come to a Championship side, than a Prem team. If he's successful, he could bes napped up by a Prem team soon enough & then have a better chance of first team football. Surely, this is what most Charlton fans agree with ? Many have been critical of the likes of Poyet moving on, saying he'd play more regularly in The Championship. I still think he'll sign for us & will be very pleased if he does.
Yes of course there is that way to look at it. Except that Dortmund isn't any old team. As a 17 year old you can learn a lot there, and why should you be "stuck"? Don't forget that currently they have a "B" team system which Greg Dyke says is The Answer. I also wonder why a French Ligue 1 side isn't interested in him.
Please don't get me wrong. If the description of him is accurate then I am pleased that our network scouting system picks up on players like him (as they have done Vetokele) and this is to our advantage. But at the same time Brentford, who don't presumably have a European scouting system, have also apparently picked up on him. The article quoted above by @bobcafc7 looks to me that it has been written by his agent and i would not trust any agent as far as I could throw him or her.
This is actually getting me a tiny bit excited for the season..... signing another decent striker!!! Feeling happy with this squad if Big Bob pulls this one off.
Certainly not he's agent , does seem weird if he's choosing us if big clubs are after him , if you type he's name on twitter several French fans/journalists saying it's a bad career move as he's way to good for us and only coming for the money.
I'm sorry - there's something about the phrase "Big Bob pulls it off" that makes me uncomfortable, but I hope we will be hearing it again and again....
Like the sound of his hold up play, dribbling ability etc as much as his goalscoring. If Tucudean is the targetman in the squad we still need an alternative. Seems Delort could be that player, but more technical than tall and powerful.
There is the worry he might not adapt but it's a much more exciting signing than someone like O'Grady (who I think may have been decent for us, but probably not much more).
As for why would he come here, I expect it's similar to Gudmundsson - he wants regular football. If he proves himself here he could be in the Prem in a season two, whether that's with us or another club.
Certainly not he's agent , does seem weird if he's choosing us if big clubs are after him , if you type he's name on twitter several French fans/journalists saying it's a bad career move as he's way to good for us and only coming for the money.
Well it's about opinions isn't it. I would say its a superb career move for someone wanting to get put in the shop window for a big money payday and an eventual move to the Premier League. Of course the player has to cut the mustard but he obviously has belief in himself.
Certainly not he's agent , does seem weird if he's choosing us if big clubs are after him , if you type he's name on twitter several French fans/journalists saying it's a bad career move as he's way to good for us and only coming for the money.
Sure, I understood that it's a journalist writing the article, but journos often just use stuff fed by agents. And he's coming here for the money? I kind of doubt that too. Everything we have understood from RD and KM is that we run a tight ship budget-wise. Other champ clubs pay 15k to O'Grady or YK, and then there is Noel Hunt at Leeds. 25k if you please.
Will be delighted if he actually signs, on reasonable wages, and turns out to be the real deal.
Yeh - there must be a hell of a lot of players from lower league clubs in Europe that get signed up to Prem teams and we never ever hear of it in the excitement of big name signings, who never get a game outside of the reserves or under 21s.
Charlton Athletic are set to win the race to sign Tours striker Andy Delort, according to L'Equipe. Sky Sports revealed over the weekend that Charlton and Brentford were keen on Delort, who is tipped to finalise a move to The Valley on Wednesday. Delort, who has also been linked with Montpellier, Lens, Atletico Madrid, Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, could sign a five-year deal with Charlton to join for a fee of around €3million (£2.4m).
Charlton Athletic are set to win the race to sign Tours striker Andy Delort, according to L'Equipe. Sky Sports revealed over the weekend that Charlton and Brentford were keen on Delort, who is tipped to finalise a move to The Valley on Wednesday. Delort, who has also been linked with Montpellier, Lens, Atletico Madrid, Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, could sign a five-year deal with Charlton to join for a fee of around €3million (£2.4m).
Wow, we haven't acquired a player so sought after across Europe since we beat Barcelona, Everton, Villa, Lazio, Celtic and Rangers to the signing of Yassin Moutaouakil back in 2007. Lock up your mums!
Comments
From a French journalist -
After what was quite simply a superb season for the Tours FC striker, few players in Europe have been surrounded by as much transfer speculation in this current ‘Mercato’ as Andy Delort. The 22-year old has been linked with clubs as grand in stature as Feyenoord and Athlético Madrid, but it now looks like he will be on his way to the English championship after telling the French media yesterday that he had agreed terms with an unnamed club. His current side have explained that two English sides are extremely keen on acquiring their goalmachine’s services.
The Sète native was once described fairly by France Football as being a player who ‘gives the impression as somebody who has lived a thousand lives’ within the game, and a quick look at Delort’s career history really does reveal the truth in that turn of phrase.
After leaving his local side FC Sète for Ligue 2 club AC Ajaccio, the 17-year old Delort became an extremely prolific goal scorer in his new side’s U19 set-up. In the French u19 championship, Delort finished his first season with the Corsican club as the league’s top scorer, notching up an impressive 30 goals and his form didn’t go unnoticed.
Delort was promptly invited to Germany by an agent, where he went on trial with Borussia Dortmund’s reserve side. He found himself playing in the same side as Shinji Kagawa and Mario Götze and made a good impression by scoring four times in two friendly games for one of Europe’s biggest clubs. Such was the club’s confidence in his abilty, Delort was eventually offered a three-year apprenticeship contract with Dortmund, but he refused the offer. The ambitious 17-year old decided to sign instead for Ligue 2 side Nimes, with the promise of regular first-team football acting as the main lure to the Stade des Costières for the striker.
By the start of the 2010 season, Delort had finally made his way back to Ajaccio, and it was from this period onwards that he began to make serious progress as an up-and-coming French football talent. The striker became a regular in his side’s set-up and by the end of the 2010-2011 season he achieved promotion to Ligue 1, as well as a call-up to France’s U20 squad. He did however begin to develop a reputation as a fiery and at times aggressive character, most notably after his involvement in an on the pitch brawl in an away match against Nantes in March 2011 which led to a four game ban. Delort has since put the incident down to a ‘youthful mistake’ from which he has learned a lot.
It would be fair to say that before the begining of last season, Delort’s career had been somewhat tumultous. However, one must bear in mind the 22-year old’s youthfulness. His potential has always been unquestionable, and it seemed that last season, everything just ‘clicked’ for the striker. Delort stated at the start of the season that his confidence in his move to Tours in 2013 was down to the fact that his current coach Olivier Pantaloni ‘believed enormously’ in him. His coach’s personal belief and confidence in him, added to his own vast experience of the footballing world and ability at such a young age, seems to have been the perfect combination for Delort. He scored 24 times last season for les Tourangeaux, making him the joint top scorer in Ligue 2 with SM Caen’s Mathieu Duhamel, as well as helping him to be named in the UNFP (French Professional Players’ Union) Ligue 2 team of the year and to winning the France Football’s Ligue 2 Gold Star for the season.
In tactical terms, Delort is an extremely desirable player to have in a squad. His technical ability is unquestionable, and this was most obviously on show in what was most probably the 22-year old’s highlight of the season, during a 2-0 victory against SCO Angers in March. Just after half time, Delort finished in his own typical style. After superb link-up play, he cushoined a header to one of his teammates. Delort then used his pace to make a run in behind the centre-half to meet a through ball which he met with ease and dispatched past the keeper. However, it was Delort’s second goal that would grab the headlines. The striker met a pass played in to feet on an angle, and from about 20-yards out fooled his marker by juggling the ball on foot and then sent what was described as an ‘unstoppable’ volley past the helpless Angevin goalkeeper.
The Sète-born striker’s main strength lies heavily in his finishing, most notably in his ability shoot while running, using the pace of the ball to aid his delivery. For an almost 6ft tall striker who weighs 82kg, his pace is extremely impressive and this often helps him to pressurise and get in behind centre-halves to score. Delort’s hold-up play skill combined with his impressive dribbling abilities makes him much more than just a goalscorer, with him often becoming involved in build-up play. He’s also proven himself to be a player who is not afraid to come back down the pitch to tackle and help win back possession. Despite the fact that Tours’ offensive prowess aided Delort in what was by far his most consistent first-team season goalscoring-wise, les Tourangeaux’s weakeness in terms of winning back possession often meant that Delort’s drive was essential as part of their defensive game.
I for one would be sad to see yet another talent like Delort leave French football but we could reason that, after turning down a move abroad so early, the 22-year old certainly feels ready to leave his native country to further his career. He has always stated his desire to play in England , describing the possibility last year as ‘a dream’. Delort will certainly be an influential addition to whichever club manages to reach an agreement with his current side. He’s a 22-year old with an extremely bright future and I’m sure that if he realises his potential in England he will certainly have a notable impact.
But that's just a view of what I have read here, nothing more.
This would also account for why he would rather come to a Championship side, than a Prem team.
If he's successful, he could be snapped up by a Prem team soon enough & then have a better chance of first team football.
Surely, this is what most Charlton fans agree with ?
Many have been critical of the likes of Poyet moving on, saying he'd play more regularly in The Championship.
I still think he'll sign for us & will be very pleased if he does.
The player is also quoted as saying the clubs ambition is very important. Perhaps Katrien and Bob have shown him a glimpse of their future plans.
Most likely though is that I doubt there has been any serious interest from "bigger" clubs (Wednesday excepted ;0)). I don't see a queue of clubs from the PL lining up to sign Baldock or Agard ?
Perhaps we are just the club in the right place at the right time for once ?
This really does look done.
Please don't get me wrong. If the description of him is accurate then I am pleased that our network scouting system picks up on players like him (as they have done Vetokele) and this is to our advantage. But at the same time Brentford, who don't presumably have a European scouting system, have also apparently picked up on him. The article quoted above by @bobcafc7 looks to me that it has been written by his agent and i would not trust any agent as far as I could throw him or her.
I just smell something slightly off here.
Certainly not he's agent , does seem weird if he's choosing us if big clubs are after him , if you type he's name on twitter several French fans/journalists saying it's a bad career move as he's way to good for us and only coming for the money.
There is the worry he might not adapt but it's a much more exciting signing than someone like O'Grady (who I think may have been decent for us, but probably not much more).
As for why would he come here, I expect it's similar to Gudmundsson - he wants regular football. If he proves himself here he could be in the Prem in a season two, whether that's with us or another club.
Will be delighted if he actually signs, on reasonable wages, and turns out to be the real deal.
Charlton Athletic are set to win the race to sign Tours striker Andy Delort, according to L'Equipe. Sky Sports revealed over the weekend that Charlton and Brentford were keen on Delort, who is tipped to finalise a move to The Valley on Wednesday. Delort, who has also been linked with Montpellier, Lens, Atletico Madrid, Schalke and Borussia Monchengladbach, could sign a five-year deal with Charlton to join for a fee of around €3million (£2.4m).