Watford are now eyeing a summer move for an “excellent” midfielder, who could be new manager Edward Still’s first signing.
Horneys eyeing new signing after appointing Still
The Hornets have confirmed the appointment of Still on a two-and-a-half year contract, with the 35-year-old set to be in the dugout for the first time against Preston North End at Deepdale this weekend.
It would be fair to say the appointment has raised eyebrows, given the Belgium-born manager’s lack of experience, with former striker Troy Deeney questioning the ambition of Gino Pozzo & co.
With Still’s side 11th in the Championship, just three points off the play-offs, so despite a torrid recent run of form, there is still an opportunity to make a success out of this season, but even though it is unclear what division they will be in next season, new targets are being identified ahead of the summer.
According to a report from Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), Watford are now eyeing a summer move for Cesena midfielder Matteo Francesconi, who could end up being Still’s first signing.
The Hornets have been keeping a close eye on the central midfielder, but they are not the only club looking to secure his signature, with Portuguese side Famalicao in line to submit a formal offer.
However, at the moment, Francesconi remains happy at his boyhood club, with Cesena vying to secure promotion to the Serie A this season, and it is unclear what sort of fee the Italian side would be looking to hold out for.
Francesconi could be “excellent” signing for Watford
Speaking after Cesena took on Juve Stabia last season, former striker Emanuele Chiaretti singled the Italian maestro out for praise, saying: “He’s a different player today than in his first matches: he’s gained the right confidence with the tempo of the game, he’s very clean technically, and he played an excellent match against a very physical team.”
Since then, the 21-year-old has solidified his place in the starting XI, making 21 Serie B appearances this season, and the youngster put in a solid all-round performance in a 2-0 victory against Pescara last time out, scoring and making a number of key defensive contributions.
|
Matteo Francesconi’s key stats vs Pescara |
Number completed |
|
Clearances |
5 |
|
Interceptions |
1 |
|
Blocked shots |
3 |
|
Tackles |
2 |
There are plenty of signs Francesconi may now be ready to test himself at a higher level, so it would make sense for Watford to pursue a move this summer.
However, Still’s most important task is to get the Hornets back on track in their play-off push, starting on Saturday when his side travel to Deepdale.
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