Director of Football Dennis Wise and assistant manager Chris Hughton were in France at the weekend, taking in Metz's game with Le Mans.

And they are set to make a second trip to have a look at the player in particular that they were watching.

Wise, vice-president Tony Jimenez and chief scout Jeff Vetere have been charged with recruitment at the club, although chairman Chris Mort has insisted that Kevin Keegan will have the final say on who United sign.

Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano of Seville – a club with whom Jimenez is well connected – has been monitored, but Real Madrid are the favourites to land the hitman.

It emerged in March that St Etienne striker Bafetimbi Gomis had been watched on a couple of occasions by United's scouting team, and last weekend Keegan went to France to have a look himself.

But Gomis's price will have gone up over this weekend after he was selected for the full French squad for their pre-Euro finals training camp – in preference to the 31-year-old Juventus striker David Trezeguet.

Keegan, meanwhile, is still keen on landing Manchester City captain Richard Dunne, but faces a battle to persuade United's top brass that he should be brought to St James's Park.

The Newcastle hierachy are keen on bringing in young players who they feel will improve the club in the long term, and Dunne is now 28, and will be looking at a lucrative contract should he come to Tyneside.

However, 28 is still relatively young for a centre-half, and Keegan is hoping he can provide the experience in the heart of Newcastle's defence to bring on the likes of Steven Taylor and Jose Enrique.