Man Utd Poach New First Team Scout From Rivals Man City in Search for Emerging French Talent
Manchester Unitedhave appointed highly respected scout Romain Poirot to take control of the club's first team recruitment and head their search for up and coming talent in France, according to reports.
Poirot has previous experience working at Manchester Citywhere he spent over three years as their youth and professional scouting consultant, while the Frenchman also generally spent time with the City Football Group, as well as Watfordand Nottingham Forrest.
The Manchester Evening Newsclaims that a large part of Poirot's role will be to identify emerging talent in France, somewhere the scout has previously described as "the new Brazil" because of the quality of young players that have come through the ranks in the country.
United's network across Europe, South America and Asia has tripled in size over the last few years under the guidance of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, with the club now having one of the most sizable scouting teams in the Premier League.
Last year, Manchester United confirmed the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Aliou Traoré on a four-year deal, and recently appointed scout Poirot will be tasked with unearthing similar players who have 'United DNA'.
Traoré, 17, has already made a lasting impression on the club's youth teams over the last 12 months, and the France Under-16 international has even made an impact this season, claiming an assist during a 3-1 win over Liverpool at Under-18 level.
Poirot is also known for having taken a hands-on approach during his time at Manchester City, working closely with the agent and families of French players who came through the doors at the Etihad, including the likes of Samir Nasri, Olivier Ntcham and David Faupala.