Alou Kuol has lit up the A-League this season,but his days in Central Coast Mariners colours appear to be numbered.Credit:Getty
But the 19-year-old forward’s days in the A-League appear to be numbered,with multiple sources close to the player confirming he is likely to agree to a transfer to Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart at the end of the season.
Stuttgart sit mid-table in Germany’s top division but destroyed Borussia Dortmund 5-1 in December with one of the youngest squads in the Bundesliga. They had an average age of 24.9 years,and have a reputation as a leading development club in Europe.
Stuttgart’s sporting director,Sven Mislintat,earned the nickname “Diamond Eye” during his previous 11-year stint as chief scout at Dortmund for unearthing a golden generation of players at that club.
In addition to Lewandowski,Kagawa and Aubameyang,Mislintat also brought Socceroos Mitch Langerak to Dortmund - through the same agent,John Grimaud,who manages Kuol and took the likes of Robbie Kruse,Mathew Leckie,Josh Kennedy and Matthew Spiranovic to Germany over the years.
Robert Lewandowski was unearthed by the same talent-spotter,Sven Mislintat,who now has his eye on Alou Kuol.Credit:AP
After a brief stint at Arsenal,Mislintat joined Stuttgart in February 2019,helping them rebuild from Germany’s second tier to the top division. He now has his eye on Kuol,who has also attracted interest from other clubs in Germany and Belgium,according to sources.
The move would continue an incredible rise for Kuol,a product of the Goulburn Valley Suns in regional Victoria who was passed over by Melbourne Victory,Melbourne City and Western United - and briefly trained with AFL club Richmond’s next generation academy - before joining the Mariners in 2019.