The FA are plotting moves for the best teenage foreign talent in England in hope they will one day play for the national team.

As it emerged newly-appointed manager Sam Allardyce checked out the potential availability of Steven Nzonzi, the French-born former Stoke and Blackburn midfielder, Sportsmail can reveal FA scouts are targeting the best overseas players in England's academies with a view to persuading them to pursue international careers with England.

Foreigners who have lived in the UK for five years or more would be eligible. The likes of John Barnes, Tony Dorigo and more recently Raheem Sterling, despite not qualifying to play for England at birth, all represented their adopted nation.

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is one of the few foreign-born players to play for England

The FA are plotting moves for the best foreign teenage talent in England's academies

Players the FA are believed to have already looked at include West Ham midfielder Domingos Quina, 16, and Celtic's Moussa Dembele, 20.

Quina has represented Portugal at junior level but having arrived in England in 2013 and signed for Chelsea as a 13-year-old, he would be available for selection in 2018.

Dembele will complete five years as a UK resident in 2017.

West Ham's highly-rated midfielder Domingos Quina is believed to have been looked at

Celtic forward Moussa Dembele could become eligible for England duty next year

FIFA's eligibility rules have been exploited regularly in the past by England's rivals.

Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose had distinguished careers with Germany, despite being born in Poland and having Polish heritage.

Meanwhile, Chelsea's Diego Costa and ex-Arsenal star Eduardo, both born in Brazil, represented Spain and Croatia respectively.