Given the plethora of prodigious, young talent that was on display during tonight's Champions League quarter-final second leg between Monaco and Borussia Dortmund, it's no surprise that they were being watched by scouts from across Europe.
One team who were represented in the stands of the Stade Louis II stadium tonight were Premier League leaders Chelsea.
RMC Sport are reporting that the Blues had scouts casting an eye over three players on display in the Principality, tonight, although surprisingly, none of them were Monaco's prolific 18-year-old striker, Kylian Mbappe.
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Instead, Antonio Conte had deployed his scouts to watch Monaco trio Tiemoue Bakayoko, Benjamin Mendy and Thomas Lemar, all of whom started for the French league leaders.
Bakayoko (right) tormented Manchester City in the last 16. Image: PA
Bakayoko, according to some reports, was the subject of a £32m bid from Chelsea, last month, although it is believed that the bid for the 22-year-old midfielder was knocked back by the French giants.
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Winger Lemar has also been attracting the interest of Manchester City, although his father has claimed he'll stay in France for another season, at least, telling Ouest France earlier this week, "Everything will happen in time if it has to happen. Today, Thomas is with the leader of Ligue 1.
"There is no particular projection for him. We are of the belief that logically the plan is playing time, which is what he has at Monaco.
"Sometimes there are economic parameters that you do not know, but I think the goal would be to have another year or two in Monaco."
Lemar to leave Monaco at the end of the season? Right about now it's 50/50. Image: PA
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Mendy has also attracted interest from Manchester United and Arsenal although, let's face it, it would be tons better if this ridiculously exciting, young Monaco team were to stay together and be allowed to thrive as one of the best teams in the world for at least another couple of years before being inevitably broken up by the European elites.
Unfortunately, if recent history has taught us anything it's that as soon as an unfancied club puts together an eye catching, young team without having to spend hundreds of millions for the priviledge and achieves a decent amount of success, Europe's giants will promptly put an end to any delusions of grandeur they may be having by simply cherry picking their best players and thus preserving the exasperating status quo.
(H/T Metro)
Topics: Chelsea, Football, Champions League, AS Monaco