With promotion clinched, Watford now need to look to the transfer window to maximise the probability of retaining their Premier League status. Although much of the Hornets’ squad, on paper, is Premier League quality and should never have been relegated in the first place, a handful of transfers can be expected.
Watford Eye Move for Rodrigo De Paul
Rodrigo De Paul: Udinese’s World-Class Number 10
Rodrigo De Paul has been Udinese’s star for the past few seasons. The 26-year-old Argentine is the captain of the Italian side. In the 2018/19 campaign, De Paul scored nine goals and accumulated an equal number of assists. The following season, he tallied seven goals and six assists.
This season, De Paul’s talent continues to shine. In 31 Serie A appearances, he has eight goals and seven assists. However, his stats do not do his attacking contributions justice, as impressive as they already are. He does his defensive duties admirably, but what makes him a cut above the rest is his attacking prowess. Firstly, his eight goals are 2.14 goals higher than his expected goals statistic, showing his tremendous finishing ability. More notable, however, is that his seven assists are 4.34 assists lower than his expected assists tally, meaning his stats suffer due to his teammates’ shortcomings.
Major club’s are also interested in the midfielder. In the 2020 summer transfer window, Leeds United came close to securing his signature for a fee in the region of £35 million.
Watford’s Advantage
Watford and Udinese have the same owning family, the Pozzo’s, meaning they do lots of business together. Last season alone, there were six transfers between the clubs. So, business between the two clubs this transfer window is practically a guarantee.
A move for De Paul would undoubtedly be the highest profile transfer between the two clubs. With joint ownership, negotiations would be easier for Watford, in comparison to other clubs, if De Paul were willing to making the move.
Watford To Weigh Up Transfer
According to Adam Leventhal of The Athletic, despite it being an ‘outside bet’, the Pozzo’s could bring De Paul to Watford to give him Premier League football. The move is not imminent, but it is not something that can be written off either. Watford have the necessary connection. The possibility of an improbable De Paul transfer to Vicarage Road exists.
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