Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham were flying the flag for the Championship as both sent ‘spies’ to watch the match between Vitoria Guimaraes and Benfica on Saturday night.
Benfica won the match 2-0 and Brighton and Fulham found themselves among some rather big names. Also checking players out for transfers were officials from both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, West Brom, West Ham, several La Liga clubs, Marseille and Ajax.
There’s no indication from A Bola, who report Fulham and Brighton on the list, who the Championship clubs were watching, but Benfica players don’t come cheap. With Brighton being top of the Championship, they’ll hope to have a PL style budget next season.
Konstantinos Mitroglou scored Benfica’s second goal and whilst Fulham fans will have pretty disastrous memories of the striker’s time at the club, he’s done much better in Portugal.
Championship clubs regularly scout Portuguese league games, looking for possible purchases, with the most notable being Sheffield Wednesday, led by Portuguese manager Carlos Carvalhal.
Brighton and Fulham aren’t usually seen on scouting lists in the country, but it can’t be a bad thing that the clubs are extending their net.
