It seems that Leeds United scouts have been pretty busy doing their job in Portugal recently.
Club emissaries had already been spotted at the match between Paços de Ferreira and Sporting at the weekend, and today, O Jogo now reports Leeds officials watched Braga play Feirense last night as well.
Described by the newspaper as ‘easy’, Braga’s 3-1 win was pretty important for the club to stay in top four, so it was crucial for them to get the job done.
Just taking a look
There had been earlier claims Leeds watched Braga last week, suggesting the search may be more focused.
Starlets already wanted in England
Three players excelled for Braga last night. Two of them were Bruno Viana, the midfielder who scored the opening goal, and Paulinho, who was subbed in the second half and still managed to score a brace.
For Braga another interesting player who did well was André Horta, who controlled the midfield and still made an assist. The Benfica owned player came very close to joining West Brom in the summer, but ended up staying in Portugal.
Feirense also had a player with a good performance who was recently linked to a Premier League move. Oghenekaro Etebo, who scored the away side’s only goal, has been frequently linked to the Premier League, with Leicester City and West Brom reportedly wanting him.
Realistic targets
We all know how the Portuguese league works, with Benfica, Porto and Sporting dominating the local football. So all these players fancy a move to England, even to the Championship, because there’s not much room to grow in Portugal unless you’re signed by one of those three clubs.
Leeds United would certainly have money to take them, maybe with the exception of André Horta, since Benfica are never an easy club to negotiate with, and with the interest from Premier League sides, his price should be a bit over the budget.
Manchester United company
Other clubs who sent scouts to the game were Videoton, PAOK, Monaco, Toulouse, Lens, Saint-Etienne, Manchester United, Sporting Gijón and Sassuolo.
