Proto interest confirmed
La Louviere have confirmed that both Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in their Belgium international goalkeeper Silvio Proto.
The Belgian outfit revealed that the Premiership titans have sent scouts to check first-hand on Proto in recent weeks.
Arsenal have in fact now watched the 21-year-old twice having dispatched a representative to watch La Louviere´s game at Mouscron last week, a 1-1 draw in which the custodian was voted man of the match.
" We received requests from Arsenal and Manchester United for scouts to watch the game we played against Lokeren on February 12," La Louviere general secretary Jose Lambert told skysports.com.
" Also last Saturday a scout from Arsenal again watched us playing against Mouscron.
" They have only watched him so far, but they are very interested."
Proto first attracted interest from England last season when he had a trial spell at Portsmouth, but his stock has risen considerably since then as he has gone on to win full international honours - recently gaining his second cap.
The youngster´s contract with La Louviere expires in 2006, and Lambert admits that the club will sell him this summer if they receive a sizeable offer.
" Proto has a contract until 2006 so he can leave in June next year for nothing," Lambert continued. " Therefore if we receive a good proposition in the summer we will sell him to a big club.
" Proto is only 21 and there is nobody stronger than him in the Belgian league."
Both Arsenal and United have had well-documented goalkeeping problems this term.
Neither Jens Lehmann nor Manuel Almunia have convinced between the posts at Highbury, and it has been a similar story at Old Trafford with Tim Howard and Roy Carroll.
With Proto looking to have a very bright future in the game, the Premiership duo could well look to firm up their interest in the summer, but will also face competition from French outfit Paris Saint Germain.