Newcastle Scouting Mission: Which Rangers vs Genk Stars Were They Watching?

Newcastle United are clearly already planning ahead with their scouting staff taking in Europa League football last week.

The Magpies spent big money in the summer transfer window with around £243million splashed out on big signings including beating out Bayern Munich to land Nick Woltemade as their new striker.

Eddie Howe made it clear he wanted plenty of new recruits to strengthen his squad with.

That also came after the Alexander Isak transfer saga which dragged on substantially before eventually ending with the Swedish frontman landing his dream move to Liverpool.

Paul Mitchell had put some plans in place for the club’s summer window before his shock exit back in May 2025 but it all had to be
secured and undertaken.

The same goes for Newcastle this season with their January transfer window planning and the scouting staff have been busy travelling around Europe already with numerous Champions League and Europa League ties being watched closely.

In fact, just last week Newcastle scouts were in attendance at Ibrox to watch Rangers vs Genk in Europe’s second tier competition with Sunderland talent spotters also believed to have been watching on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmRYlgEYiMk

But who could they have been keeping a close eye on in Glasgow that evening?

Gers lost 1-0 to their Belgian opponents thanks to a strike from Oh Hyeon-gyu who had previously turned out for fierce rivals Celtic but it was a result that manager Russell Martin is now accustom to with the Light Blues.

They are yet to put together any sort of run with just one Scottish Premiership victory so far this term.

And yet, they still have talent in their ranks…

Djeidi Gassama

The former Sheffield Wednesday winger has shone for Rangers in his short stint in Glasgow so far.

The wide man has four goals and an assist from 14 appearances in all competitions and he has looked good on the European stage.

Didn’t cost Gers too much so a hefty profit would be welcomed, and he has all the attributes to play in the Premier League down the line.

Nico Raskin

Raskin fell out with Martin earlier this summer but things appear to have calmed on that front in recent weeks.

Aston Villa like Raskin and have been linked more than once with the Belgian international. Newcastle United may well have been keeping an eye on his progress.

Raskin could be moved on if issues with his boss can’t fully be smoothed over, and the Magpies might swoop.

Jack Butland

Homegrown talent is always important in European football squads and Butland, at 32, is still young enough for a goalkeeper to compete and challenge.

His form has been excellent this season so far even if Gers are struggling and he is a former England international who has come up big for Rangers more often than not.

Mo Diomande

Everton have been linked with Diomande in the past as a combative midfielder that the Toffees seriously like.

However, if Newcastle were inside Ibrox to watch the Ivorian, they would have witnessed a deserved first-half red card.

Oh Hyeon-gyu

The former Celtic man missed a whole host of chances for Genk before he did eventually find the net for the winner.

He also had the ball in the net for a second strike before it was ruled out for a narrow offside.

Was close to a £28m move to Stuttgart in the summer before that collapsed, so Newcastle would certainly make for an interesting onlooker if it was the South Korean cap they were there to see.

Zakaria El Ouahdi

Genk’s right full-back was terrific on the night as he teed up his striker teammate for numerous chances that he passed up.

Clearly the Moroccan international is a serious prospect with the ball at his feet and, at 23, has more development to come.