Southampton were one of several sides to send scouts to Porto’s clash with Sporting Club de Portugal in the Taca de Portugal last night.
That’s what A Bola report today, saying the Saints joined the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham and Wolves in scouting the ‘appetising’ clash between the pair.
Who they were there to watch isn’t mentioned, with the game eventually settled by a late strike from Toni Martinez, which handed Porto a 1-0 win on the day and a 3-1 win on aggregate overall.
In a tight game, there weren’t really any standout performers, but this is not the first time Southampton have been known to scout Portugal.
Back in October, it was stated that they had sent emissaries to the clash between Porto and Paços Fereira, and they had also been in attendance at Benfica the week before.
They were then back watching Porto in the Champions League in December, although again, it wasn’t made clear who they were looking at.
It seems, though, there is someone at Porto they like, given the number of their games they tend to watch over the course of a season.
We’ll wait and see if something specific appears in Portugal in the coming months, but expect more reports of Southampton scouts watching games before the summer transfer window opens.
