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Feyenoord fume as Man City swoop for top prospect Karim Rekik

Manchester City's capture of Dutch prospect Karim Rekik has infuriated Feyenoord.

The Dutch club want their FA to investigate the matter with reports suggesting Rekik has agreed a four-year deal with City.

"This is unfortunate for Feyenoord and the supporters," said general manager Eric Gudde.

"But in most cases these moves do not work out, especially for the boy himself - when they go abroad they are just 16 and it all seems great but if you look at the statistics the majority end in huge disappointment for the player.

"He can get a big foreign club, but he never gets in the first-team and is then released and returns, several years later to the Netherlands.

"Even players who leave Holland when they've built a career here and even played for Oranje [national side] sometimes have it difficult abroad. Babel, Rigter, Drenthe, Maduro, De Ridder, Musampa, Stam...we all know the examples.

"It's hard and it's not just about being a good player. These lads are so young, though and the stats are clear: most of these adventures fail. Most of these kids are badly developed and then they're out on loan and then they come back here, to actually have lost progress.

"The fact that Holland develops better than England should be a reason for the English Clubs to leave them here too. I can imagine deals between Dutch and English clubs on a development level, but signing 15 year olds is a simply stupid. For all involved."

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