Manchester United boss David Moyes spotted scouting Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke

Manchester United manager David Moyes was spotted in the crowd watching Atletico Madrid beat Porto last night where he was apparently scouting Koke, their attacking midfielder.

Moyes is on the lookout for a creative midfielder and Koke would be the perfect option for United as he’s been the main creative force at Atletico this season, helping Diego Costa score nearly 20 goals in all competitions.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of a number of candidates on Moyes’s midfield shortlist ahead of the January window, with Inter’s Fredy Guarin also subject to heavy interest.

Moyes allegedly sent scouts to watch Guarin in action but elected to monitor Koke first-hand and was given a VIP seat at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, where he spoke to the club’s sporting director, Jose Luis Caminero.

“I suppose he came to see us because Atletico are a Champions League team and because they also qualified for the last 16,” the former Spain international told Canal Plus after the game.

“We spoke, but he didn’t tell me exactly why he had come…”

Koke played the 90 minutes as Diego Simeone’s men, who had already qualified for the last 16, beat Porto 2-0 thanks to goals from Raul Garcia and Diego Costa.

The 21-year-old has scored 10 goals in 134 games for Atletico and has also represented Spain on seven occasions after making his debut earlier this year.

The midfielder recently signed a new deal at the Calderon to extend his deal to 2018 and he said: ”I didn’t know anything [about Moyes being here] but I’m not concerned [with any of that]. I renewed in the summer.”

No one else at Atletico has created more than the 33 chances Koke has in La Liga this season.