Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard made a check on Olympique Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car last week.
Gerrard was in France to see Marseille defeat Nantes.
Flanked by Villa chief exec Christian Purslow and sporting director Johan Lange, Gerrard was in the stands for OM's 3-2 win.
Boubacar Kamara was mentioned as a potential target for Gerrard, while OM teammate Caleta-Car is also being put forward.
Local reporter Ignazio Genuardi says Caleta-Car is a top target for Gerrard as he seeks to improve his centre-half options for next season.