Ipswich Town and Brentford look like they have something going on in Portugal, with both clubs sending scouts to watch Porto again this weekend.
Representatives from the two English sides were at the Dragão for Porto’s 3-1 win over Benfica on Sunday.
Both are listed among the clubs with scouts in attendance. As they were also spotted watching Porto against Manchester City earlier this month, this trips seems to be more strategic than usual.
Ipswich and Brentford back at the Dragão
When the two clubs watched Porto against City, there were several players who looked worth following. Jakub Kiwior and Martim Fernandes were two we picked out at the time. Borja Sainz and Francisco Moura were also on that list.
Sainz has since given the scouts something else to think about. He scored in Porto’s game immediately before Sunday’s clash with Benfica.
Against Benfica, though, some of Porto’s ‘B-side’ options were among those who caught the eye. Pepê, 29, played an important part in the win. His excellent pass sent Gabri Veiga through to score the opening goal.
Pablo Rosario, also 29, was one of Porto’s best players. He played the pass which started the move for Victor Froholdt’s goal and made a crucial first-half block.
Neither Pepê nor Rosario is the sort of young prospect a club buys with a big future resale in mind. What they do offer is a very high floor when it comes to immediate quality.
That could make both interesting for Ipswich and Brentford, depending on what exactly their scouts are looking for.
Froholdt stands out, but Veiga could be more realistic
Victor Froholdt was arguably the best player on the pitch. The 20-year-old returned after suffering a concussion, scored and brought plenty of intensity in midfield.
His performance was another reminder of why he’s attracting attention from some of Europe’s bigger clubs. That level of competition could make him a tougher target for Ipswich and Brentford.
Gabri Veiga is a different case. The Spaniard remains a big name after his earlier rise in Spain and subsequent move to Saudi Arabia. He’s still only 24, though, and could be a more accessible option than Froholdt.
Veiga certainly gave the scouts something to see on Sunday. He made clever runs between the lines and opened the scoring after Pepê’s excellent pass.
For either Ipswich or Brentford, he’s the sort of player who could be particularly interesting if they’re looking for someone ready to contribute straight away.
Stiker André Silva also made his mark, setting up two goals in the second half.
Benfica had plenty to offer as well
Ipswich Town and Brentford weren’t short of players to take notes on from Benfica either.
Samuel Soares conceded three, but that doesn’t really tell the story of his performance. The goalkeeper made several very good saves and has been growing considerably at Benfica.
The 24-year-old has now taken over as their first-choice goalkeeper, so he’s another interesting prospect for visiting clubs to watch.
Gianluca Prestianni was probably Benfica’s biggest attraction on the night. The 20-year-old Argentine caused Porto plenty of problems coming from the left. He created chances, carried a constant threat and produced an excellent individual move before setting up Alexander Bah’s goal.
Striker Vangelis Pavlidis didn’t get on the scoresheet, but the striker still gave Porto’s centre-backs plenty of work.
Of course there’s still nothing to say exactly who Ipswich or Brentford went to watch. But seeing both clubs back at the Dragão only a few weeks after the Manchester City game is interesting, though.
Whatever they’re looking at in Portugal, their presence there is starting to look quite deliberate.
