De Kaaijmannen Steal
Rancher Rabbits scout Ooi Long Ming described Dutch third division club De Kaaijmannen as having struck a real bargain for highly-touted forward prospect Kwek De Keong. "Kwek was one of our best." Ooi said. "It pains me that we let him go for free, but if Humberto Díaz does right by him, I can overlook that."
Then again, the 17 year-old Kwek could hardly have realistically hoped for a higher-profile club, with De Kaaijmannen having just spent three seasons in the Eredivisie, before embarking on a rebuild beginning last season. They can hardly be accused of not being selective either, with the homegrown duo of Wilco Hilkhuijsen and Megiel Bruns being Kwek's only competition in the U-20 age group.
Given this, picking them over sixth division options Burgerhout casuals was a foregone conclusion. Kwek will not have a lack of role models either, with former youth internationals Rob Barrett and Manel Eguina getting the goods. Barrett, a Bangladeshi expat with ten caps for his adopted country, has been described as the closest to Kwek in natural style, though the Chilean Eguina will surely have plenty to teach him too.
The Buns would earn somewhat more from Cheong Sze Fu's S$6 million move to Italian Division Seven club C'era Una Volta Il Cebs, as the 30 year-old goalkeeper and former trainee moved on after eight seasons with Serbia's FK Luzeri. Grilled International were reportedly considering a bid for Busy Bees late bloomer Tan Woon Jian, but ultimately watched as he joined Germany's Turbine STS for S$1.9 million instead.
