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Chelsea, Man City among clubs keen on Angers' Cheikh Ndoye - report

Chelsea, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and Stoke City are all keeping tabs on Angers midfielder Cheikh Ndoye, according to Le Parisien.

Ndoye, 29, has been one of the standout performers this season for the newly-promoted French club, who have surprised everyone by climbing to second in Ligue 1 after 18 matches.

L'Equipe had reported that Chelsea and Manchester City were among eight English sides planning to send scouts to watch the Senegal international in action against Bordeaux last weekend.

On Wednesday, Le Parisien suggested that Palace and Stoke, where Ndoye had an unsuccessful trial in 2007, were also interested in the Angers captain.

A tall, strong and athletic central midfielder, Ndoye is the club's top scorer with five goals this season after joining on a free transfer from Ligue 2 side Creteil over the summer.

But Guy Hillion, who scouts for Chelsea in France, says that the midfielder -- who is playing his first season in Ligue 1 and turns 30 at the end of March -- is not a target for Jose Mourinho's side.

"He's an interesting player for the Premier League but not necessarily for us," Hillion, who watched Ndoye in the 1-1 draw with Bordeaux, told Le Parisien.

"If he has to leave for England, he'll have to move quickly. He'll have to choose a club where he will play."

Le Parisien says Angers could command a fee of between €10-15 million for Ndoye, whose contract runs until the summer of 2017.

Last week, L'Equipe reported that the club were hoping to extend Ndoye's deal, and Angers president Said Chabane has confirmed that they do not plan on cashing in on him during the January transfer window.

"Not before the end of the season," Chabane told Le Parisien. "After that, when you have the 19th budget [out of 20] in Ligue 1, it's difficult to keep players who excel."

Ndoye, who had spent his entire senior career in the French lower leagues, has made his presence felt in every area of the pitch this season.

The 6ft 3" player scored two headed goals in a 2-0 win at Lyon earlier this month as Angers chalked up their 11th clean sheet of the season, while he has also weighed in with two assists.

"Every player dreams of going to a big club but I'm not paying attention to what's being said and I'm concentrating on the pitch," Ndoye told Le Parisien.