Steve Nickson eyeing Rennes centre-back and Senegalese striker for Newcastle?

Steve Nickson's recruitment record at Newcastle United is excellent and it appears as though another potential gem is on his radar.

According to The Mail, the club are taking a close look at Moroccan talent Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal.

The 19-year-old centre-back currently plays for Rennes in France, although he is yet to make his senior debut for the Ligue 1 side.

Ait Boudlal spent last season on loan at Ligue 2 side Amiens, playing nine times over the second half of the campaign after breaking into Rennes' squad in the early months of 2024/25.

Newcastle have been taking a close look at the African and South American markets lately, with club scouts present at the Under-17 and Under-20 African Cup of Nations in search of hidden gems.

In last month's Under-20 AFCON, Ait Boudlal played 90 minutes in the final, where Morocco just missed out on being crowned champions following a narrow 1-0 defeat to South Africa.

The 6ft 2' defender isn't the only African talent who has been linked with a potential move to St James' Park, with reports in Spain suggesting we have been scouting Albacete's Senegalese striker Christian Kofane.

Kofane has a release clause worth just over £4m in his contract and has been one of the breakout youngsters in the Spanish second tier, scoring eight goals in 20 La Liga 2 appearances last term.

(Ait Bouladl in action for Morocco's Under-20s)