Young, strong and mature with leadership qualities, it looked like Montreal Impact had unearthed a gem when acquiring Luis Binks from Tottenham Hotspur’s under-age network.
And yet, although such an outlook remains likely to be the case, the player’s discovery is unlikely to reap much in the way of dividend for the Montreal club.
While the 18 year-old’s move to ‘sister-club’ Bologna is good news for the player and Joey Saputo’s Italian club, it doesn’t reflect too well on this side of the Atlantic. No fee is involved and so far no hint has emerged of a player of similar quality moving in the opposite direction.