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Giorgos Giakoumakis – The Eredivisie top scorer who was scouted at a Polish cafe

Giorgos Giakoumakis – The Eredivisie top scorer who was scouted at a Polish cafe

The Dutch Eredivisie has a new top marksman in Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has a unique journey to the goal scoring charts in the Dutch top flight.

The Greek centre forward has a total of sixteen goals in the league so far this season, and can well be adjudged as the hottest property in the entire division now: only half a season after he was scouted by his new club at a Polish café.

The 26-year-old forward is presently on Dutch club VVV Venlo’s payroll, as he is likely to be subjected to a lot of offers before the winter window expires at the beginning of next month.

Giakoumakis was loaned out to a Polish club named Gornik Zabrze last season, from his parent club AEK Athens. When VVV Venlo technical manager Stan Valckx learnt about the player from certain player agents, he wanted to see him in action. Valckx eventually had to see the game and scout his player in a Polish café.

Valckx met with Giakoumakis a day later, as the Greek impressed the technical manager with his knowledge of the club’s incoming and outgoing transfers.

VVV soon agreed to a deal worth £200, 000 with Athens which saw the forward signing a contract valid for two years, with the option of a further extension of one year. Valckx had indeed got his man, but the resounding success of the signing was one that hardly anyone saw coming.

Giakoumakis has gone on to impress heavily for his new club, scoring sixteen goals in sixteen games for leading the goal scoring charts in the division (Infogol).

VVV will hope to retain the services of their numero uno marksman beyond the January transfer window, as he is now likely to be worth millions after his exploits in the Eredivisie this season: a lot more than the meagre sum of £200,000 that secured his services for VVV.