Steve Nickson has built a strong reputation for his recruitment work at Newcastle United, and it seems he may have identified another rising star.
According to The Mail, the club is closely monitoring Moroccan defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal. The 19-year-old centre-back is currently with French side Rennes but has yet to make his first-team debut. He spent the latter half of last season on loan at Ligue 2 club Amiens, making nine appearances after initially featuring in Rennes’ squad earlier in the 2024/25 campaign.
Newcastle have recently focused on scouting talent from Africa and South America, with representatives attending both the Under-17 and Under-20 African Cup of Nations in search of promising prospects.
Ait Boudlal played the full 90 minutes in last month’s Under-20 AFCON final, where Morocco narrowly lost 1-0 to South Africa.
Standing at 6ft 2in, the young defender isn’t the only African prospect linked with Newcastle. Reports from Spain claim the club is also tracking Christian Kofane, a Senegalese striker at Albacete. Kofane has impressed in La Liga 2, netting eight goals in 20 appearances last season, and has a release clause of just over £4 million in his contract.
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