West Ham sent scouts to Belgium
The Hammers were not alone as scouts from fellow Premier League clubs Arsenal, Aston Villa, Everton and Leicester City watched the same game. German clubs Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Bayer 04 Leverkusen were also present as were Spanish club representatives from Athletico Madrid and Celta de Vigo.
West Ham completed the signing of Senegalese midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate on a four-year deal from Anderlecht back in June 2014 for a fee believed to be £7 million. West Ham also reportedly abandoned plans to sign convicted rapist Ilombe Mboyo from Belgium side Gent in 2013. The striker spent three years in prison for the gang rape of a 14-year-old girl when he was 16, and Hammers fans backlash prompted the club to end their interest in Mboyo.
The Belgian league is becoming a hotbed for talent spotting with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku marking their mark on the Premier League.
The scouts are thought to be watching players Youri Tielemans and Dennis Praet.