Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Hull City scouts spotted at recent EFL clash | OneFootball

The second tier sides are getting their research done before the winter window.

Scouts and representatives from Championship sides Blackburn Rovers, Hull City, Sunderland, Stoke City and Swansea City were all in attendance to watch Saturday's League Two battle between Crewe Alexandra and Notts County, as per the Sunderland Echo.

Most of the time, throughout the season, the main focus of clubs at the second tier level is on their own games, but international breaks allow more attention to be paid to other areas. As the January window approaches, though, the efforts to make sure the due diligence is done before the close of the year are ramping up.

While it isn't as common as it maybe used to be, shopping from the leagues below is something that clubs look to try and do, especially when options elsewhere are short.

The aforementioned group of Championship clubs appear to be considering some options further down the football pyramid, after members of said teams were spotted at a recent fourth tier match.

Championship scouts seen at League Two clash

Lee Bell's secured a 2-0 home win on Saturday versus Notts. It was one of the few weekends of the season where most of the EFL's attention was on its lowest division, as that was where most of the games were happening.

It was more than just supporters that were interested in this contest, however, as scouts and representatives from Blackburn, Hull, Sunderland, Stoke and Swansea were all at the game, as per the Echo. Also in attendance were people from Wigan Athletic and Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Last January, Rovers paid Crewe £500,000 to sign central defender Connor O'Riordan. The Irishman struggled after moving to Ewood Park and is now out on loan with League One's Cambridge United until the end of the season, where he has similarly found it hard to get minutes.

Matt Barratt and Chris Morris of the Black Cats' recruitment team were specifically stated to be at the match by the Wearside publication, but who they were there to watch is unknown.

Sunderland, in particular, are known for their desire to bring in young talent that needs a bit of development. Of the players on display at the Mornflake Stadium, Alexandra goalkeeper Filip Marschall (21), who is on loan from Aston Villa, and Welsh defender Zac Williams (20) seem the most likely candidates to be on the radar of the Black Cats and others.

League Two recruitment is definitely something to consider for Championship sides

The gap between the spending abilities of your average Premier League and Championship clubs is well known to be quite a big one; similar can be said for the gap between those in the second and fourth tier.

The money that Crewe got for O'Riordan could be life-changing, if used correctly, and yet £500,000 for Blackburn is a pretty miniscule fee.

Cases like the young centre-back may put clubs at the Championship level off of going for other talented players from his old division, but it shouldn't.

There are a good number of examples of players who have come from the fourth tier and made it right the way up to the top end of the footballing pyramid in this country.

It comes with its risks, for sure, but they're worth taking sometimes.