Arsenal sent scouts to watch FC Girondins de Bordeaux play out a 0-0 draw against EA Guingamp on Wednesday night, along with a few other top European clubs.

Bordeaux's Danish forward Andreas Cornelius (C-R) tries to score a goal with his hand during the French L1 football match between Girondins de Bordeaux (FCGB) and En avant de Guingamp (EAG) on February 20, 2019 at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP / Getty Images)
Bordeaux’s Danish forward Andreas Cornelius (C-R) tries to score a goal with his hand during the French L1 football match between Girondins de Bordeaux (FCGB) and En Avant de Guingamp (EAG) on February 20, 2019, at the Matmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France. (Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP / Getty Images)

Bordeaux fan website Girondins4Ever provide a list of observers in attendance at each of their home games, and on this occasion Arsenal were the sole representatives from England. The other teams with scouts watching were as follows:

  • France: AS Monaco, Olympique Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain, Angers SCO
  • Italy: FC Inter Milan, Atalanta
  • Spain: SD Eibar, Deportivo de Alaves

As the list is simply an account of which teams were watching, it doesn’t give any hints as to which player(s) Arsenal might have had their eye on. A popular theory is that it might have been to watch 20-year-old centre-back Jules Kounde, who has become a guaranteed starter in Bordeaux’s team despite his young age.

If that was the case, the Arsenal representatives will have been impressed with what they saw, as Bordeaux kept a clean sheet and Kounde played a big part in it.

Defensively, he made a couple of successful tackles, three clearances and won three aerial duels, whilst also completing 86% of his passes and even hitting the woodwork. The centre-back spent more time on the ball than anyone else on the pitch.

The Gunners could use a good centre-back in Thursday night’s clash with BATE Borisov, as an away goal could prove devastating. Visit betfred to bet on the game, or iwca if you fancy 30 free spins for heart bingo.

We’ll have to wait and see who Arsenal were after, but if they’re going to a match between Ligue 1 teams in 13th and 20th place, they probably have someone specific in mind.