Fulham, Aston Villa and Bournemouth are all represented in the stands for Racing Genk’s Europa League clash with Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night, according to Belgian outlet Sporza.

The report states that 23 scouts from across Europe signed in at the Cegeka Arena, and England had a strong presence. When that many clubs travel for one match, it is rarely routine.

Genk’s model attracts Premier League attention

Sporza point out that Genk are among the most successful selling clubs in world football. Over the past five years, the Belgian side have generated €169m (£145.3m) in profit from transfers. That places them 10th globally in CIES data.

In total, Genk have recorded €275m (£236.7m) in transfer income, while spending €106m (£91.2m). It is a recruitment and development model that consistently feeds Europe’s top leagues. So when Premier League scouts appear in numbers, there is usually a reason.

Some of Genk’s recent sales include names well known in English football, such as Tolu Arokodare, who moved to Wolves, Sander Berge to Sheffield United, Bilal El Khannouss to Leicester City, Mike Penders to Chelsea, Paul Onuachu to Southampton, Wilfred Ndidi to Leicester City and Leandro Trossard, to Brighton.

Potential Fulham, Aston Villa...