Even if Manchester United aren’t in the Champions League this season, it doesn’t mean that José Mourinho and his staff can’t keep an eye on what’s going on in the competition, even at youth level.
The UEFA Youth League is, every week it’s on, a hubbub of scouting, as the competition allows representatives from clubs to watch young players play against some of the best in their age groups rather than against local sides.
According to L’Equipe on Tuesday, both Manchester United and Manchester City sent scouts to Croatia to watch Lyon play Dinamo Zagreb in the competition (Lyon won 2-1), and the French newspaper believe both Guardiola and Mourinho had one particular a player in mind: Amine Gouiri.
Alongside both Manchester clubs, Juventus and Inter Milan are expected to be there, as well as another Premier League club: Chelsea.
Speaking to the newspaper, a scout for an unnamed big club said: “A lot of sides are convinced by his potential and understood they might need to sort something out quickly before they have to spend a lot more in a few years to try and bring him to their club.”
Currently contracted until June 2019, the 16-year-old has already made four appearances in the UEFA Youth League, but is yet to score a goal.
