Newcastle United were scouting Bordeaux pair Francois Kamano and Samuel Kalu as they were said to be watching the French side’s clash with Nice on Sunday, according to the Chronicle.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Magpies, who were said by the reliable Scouts in Attendance Twitter account to have had individuals watching on at the 1-0 defeat for Bordeaux, were likely to have been keeping an eye on the wing pair for the Ligue 1 outfit, with Kamano said to have been a target for the club in the summer.
#nufc #efc #wwfc #lcfc #cfc #atleti #SevillaFC #Villarreal #ASRoma #WOB scouts will be at Bordeaux v Nice on Sun.
— Scouts in Attendance (@scoutsattending) October 27, 2018
The 22-year-old Guinea international has already netted nine goals for his side across all competitions this season, while 21-year-old Kalu has a goal and three assists to his name.
Good move for Newcastle?
The Magpies have been desperately lacking a cutting edge up front this season and while a lot of blame has been pointed at the strikers, there has not been a lot created by those on the wings either.
There needs to be a creative spark from somewhere and while the likes of Kenedy and Matt Ritchie have delivered infrequent bursts of form, those from the bench have had little to no effect, and there needs to be a consistent threat to the opposition if they want to secure Premier League survival.
Kamano certainly looks to fit the bill with his nine goals this season, but as is always the case, questions must be asked whether he can bed himself into the cut and thrust nature of England’s top flight quickly enough to make a difference.
Kalu has no real proven record but is a hot prospect who could flourish into something special – but at just a year older, his teammate seems to be the one shining right now.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10
Likely to happen?
Newcastle were limited to spending little in summer and nothing looks to have changed heading into the new year.
With his form, Kamano is not going to be allowed to go for cheap and as a top young talent, neither is Kalu.
The Magpies can scout the pair all they want but neither looks likely to make the move to Tyneside with Mike Ashley’s grip firmly on the purse strings.
This is Futbol rating: 4/10