How mandatory English lessons power Midtjylland's transfer success
The Danish club has just completed the most profitable transfer window in its history, with potential sales nearing €87m. The engine behind that success is not only scouting or tactics: it is a classroom. Midtjylland requires its players to attend English lessons at least three times a week, a rule the club considers as important as training itself.
ByNatilla5 min read
Midtjylland has turned the classroom into its smartest signing. The Danish club, renowned for its innovative approach, had already banked more than €200m in sales since 2018 before this summer. Then it completed the most profitable window in its short history. The departures of striker Franculino Djú to Trabzonspor and winger Darío Osorio to Crystal Palace, on loan with an obligation to buy, could bring in around €62m. Both deals were wrapped up within 48 hours at the end of the market.
- Djú and Osorio left for a potential €62m combined in just 48 hours.
- Aral Simsir and Lee Han-beom joined Club Brugge for another €25m.
- David Martínez arrived from LAFC for €7.3m, a Danish record.
- Players must attend English lessons at least three times a week.
- The squad includes 17 nationalities from five continents.
One language for a squad spanning five continents
Communication sits at the heart of the project. With players from five continents, Midtjylland does not operate as a Danish club but as an international one. The club hires coaches from around the world to help new arrivals settle and demands functional English within six months. If a player cannot understand the coach, the whole system stalls.
The lessons are as important as training. If they cannot understand English within six months, they cannot communicate with the coach. It is key for our common success.
Darío Osorio and the long road to the Premier League
Osorio's move to Crystal Palace was confirmed almost two hours after the Premier League deadline had passed. The deal includes an obligation to buy for £22.3m next summer, plus up to £3.4m in add-ons, making it the most expensive sale in Danish top-flight history. The 22-year-old made his first Palace start in a 3-0 Carabao Cup win over Middlesbrough after coming on against Fulham in the league days earlier.
Midtjylland signed him in August 2023 after scouts spotted him playing for Universidad de Chile, beating competition from RB Leipzig, Milan and Atalanta. A month earlier, Brentford owner Matthew Benham had sold his controlling stake to Danish businessman Anders Holch Povlsen. Osorio picked the Danish project because he wanted a European environment where he could grow at his own pace, with the Premier League as his ultimate target.
Nutrition, habits and the work away from the pitch
Osorio's adaptation was not only tactical. The club noticed that the Chilean was eating a lot of white bread for dinner and could not understand why he woke up without energy. One of the first moves was to redesign his nutrition plan. The technical director has admitted that Chilean football is not the most professional environment when it comes to diet and daily habits, and that early intervention made the difference.
A left-footed forward who prefers playing as an inverted right-winger, Osorio finished his first season in Denmark with eight league goals. His progress was so clear that the club felt he had been outgrowing the competition for some time. They believe he has the quality to compete in the Premier League as a starter, not as an understudy.
Deadline day nerves and Crystal Palace's late pivot
There were tense moments at the end. Crystal Palace first pursued Malick Fofana from Lyon, but the Belgian winger chose Sunderland, so the London club returned to Osorio at the last minute. Midtjylland had prepared the player and his agent for that exact scenario: English clubs tend to wait until the final days when signing from outside the top five leagues.
Osorio found the final stretch stressful, but he was also mentally ready. He knew that a strong start to the season was his best shop window. Midtjylland, meanwhile, sees these sales not as luck but as the result of years of planning.
A Danish record signing and the Nigerian academy pipeline
The arrival of David Martínez, a 20-year-old Venezuela international from LAFC, cost €7.3m and set a Danish record. His job is to help fill the void left by Osorio and Djú, the club's top scorer last season with 17 goals.
Midtjylland is also leaning on its FC Ebedei academy in Nigeria, founded in 2004 and responsible for talents such as Coventry's Frank Onyeka. This summer the club added promising teenagers Olashile Musa Lawal and Ikenna Udechukwu as it chases the league title once again, having finished as runners-up last season to surprise package AGF.
Frequently asked questions about the Midtjylland model
Frequently asked questions
Why does Midtjylland require players to take English lessons?
The squad features up to 17 different nationalities, making English the common language of the dressing room. The club expects players to be able to communicate with the coach within six months so they can integrate and perform at the required level.
How much did Midtjylland make in transfers this summer?
The sales of Franculino Djú and Darío Osorio alone could bring in around €62m. Adding Aral Simsir and Lee Han-beom's moves to Club Brugge, the total approaches €87m.
What role did Crystal Palace play in Darío Osorio's transfer?
Palace completed a loan with an obligation to buy worth £22.3m plus add-ons shortly after the official deadline. The club had first pursued Malick Fofana from Lyon, but the Belgian chose Sunderland, prompting Palace to return to the Chilean winger.