Issue number 20 of the CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report investigates the international mobility of minors in football. It notably reveals that the number footballers who left their country before to turn 18 playing in 31 top division leagues of UEFA member associations has reached a new record high in 2016. English clubs are by far the most active in the international recruitment of minors.

The 19th Monthly Report presents the main findings of the annual census carried out since 2009 by the CIES Football Observatory on the profile of players active in 31 top division leagues of UEFA member associations. The study shows that the presence of club-trained players continues to decrease, while that of expatriates is on the increase. The greater international mobility of players brings with it a growing instability in squads.

The 18th Monthly Report of the CIES Football Observatory analyses the recruitment strategies followed by clubs from the five major European championships. The Report shows that the most competitive teams pursue a transfer strategy based on quality. They focus on the fee paying transfer of young players with high potential and hold on to those who perform best over the long term. In addition, the wealthiest teams tend to recruit more internationally than those with lesser means at their disposal.

The 17th edition of the CIES Football Observatory Monthly Report analyses monetary flows related to the transfer of players within European football. Since 2010, big-5 league team investments have grown almost continually year after year to reach a new record of €4.2 billion in 2016. English Premier League clubs account for about 40% of the total expenditure.

The 16th edition of the Monthly Report presents the exclusive approach developed by the CIES Football Observatory research team to estimate both the transfer value and the fee paying transfer probability of professional footballers. The methodology is illustrated through the presentation of the big-5 league players who, on June 1st 2016, were at the top of the rankings for both transfer value and probability.

Issue number 15 of the Monthly Report presents the exclusive method to objectively measure the technical performance of players that the CIES Observatory has been developing since 2010. The approach is illustrated by presenting the rankings of the best big-5 footballers in 2015/2016 per both area of the game and position. The Report also identifies the best performing players in comparison to teammates. This type of analysis is particularly useful in unveiling the potential of footballers who do not yet play for the most competitive clubs.