Transfer Talk: Zack Steffen

Eugene Rupinski) I'm curious about SC Freiburg's goalkeeper situation and academy setup. Zack Steffen snubbed the Philadelphia Union for them, and I want to know what he's gotten in to so to speak.

Davis VanOpdorp, Bavarian Football Works) SC Freiburg has invested a lot in their academy. Oliver Baumann, the most recent goalkeeper to come out of their academy, just signed with Hoffenheim on a €5.5 million transfer. They recently signed a Swiss goalkeeper, Roman Bürki, to replace Baumann from Grasshoppers Zürich.

Ryan Cowper, Bavarian Football Works and Sounder At Heart) I'd echo everything Davis said on the Freiburg academy and add Freiburg are extremely low budget and the only reason they've maintained their position in the Bundesliga is on the quality of youth talent they produce. There aren't many better academy systems in Germany.

VanOpdorp) In fact, this is taken directly from my Bayern/Freiburg preview: "Over the past four seasons, clubs have poached four key academy talents – Oliver Baumann, Daniel Caligiuri, Matthias Ginter, and Ömer Toprak– and several other frugal acquisitions important to their success – Demba Papiss Cissé, Fallou Diagne, Gelson Fernandes, and Max Kruse."

VanOpdorp) By the way, five of those eight players (Ginter, Toprak, Cissé, Fernandes, and Kruse) have appeared with their national teams after their time with Freiburg.

It seems that while Freiburg is stacked at the goalkeeper position, they have a reputation for developing talent and selling it on to top teams in Europe. It seems like Steffen is definitely in a good place to develop and further his career.