With just one game left to play in Ligue 1 (next weekend), Saturday was one of the last times scouts had a chance to watch players in France.
According to French journalist Raphael Perry, West Ham and Newcastle took this opportunity to send some scouts to Bordeaux-Toulouse, a highly entertaining game that ended 4-2 in favour of the home team.
While it’s quite hard to know exactly who the Hammers and the Magpies were keeping an eye on, there’s one area the London club need strengthening: goalkeeper.
Joe Hart, who is likely to miss out on Gareth Southgate’s squad for Russia, will probably return to Manchester City in the coming weeks, leaving just Adrian in the role.
Alban Lafont is the obvious target here, with the 19-year-old widely expected to finally leave the club where he’s been the number one for the past two seasons.
The price would widely depend on whether or not Toulouse get relegated to Ligue 2, as they currently sit in the playoff spot in 18th.
We would’ve also suggested Newcastle were looking at him, but Martin Dubravka’s performances since his arrival on loan from Sparta Prague suggest Rafa Benitez will make him his first signing of the summer in the coming days.
Another who could bid the south of France farewell is centre-back Issa Diop, an area both teams will be looking at over the summer.
The 21-year-old is certainly one of the more promising prospects in Ligue 1 in the position, and while he isn’t ready for a top club just yet, a transitional move to a club like Newcastle or West Ham could be the ideal next step in his career.
Either that or a transfer to somewhere like Marseille or Monaco.
Neither side boasted great strikers, so that area (unless Yaya Sanogo or Martin Braithwaite are of interest) wasn’t exactly plentiful for two teams in need of prolific goalscorer.
The same applies for left-backs, a role Newcastle need to sort out, although Youssouf Sabaly, Bordeaux’s right-back, can certainly do a very good job there, having split his time in both roles during his Ligue 1 career.
As for midfield, the likes of Soualiho Meïté (on loan from Monaco), Otavio or Valentin Vada are all options on the Bordeaux side of things, but none of them are the ‘squad changing’ type.
