Watford have reportedly joined the race to sign Sassuolo striker Grégoire Defrel, six years after they first showed interest.
The Championship club are aiming for promotion to the Premier League this season and are aiming to qualify for the play-offs after a successful first half of the season.
The Hornets have played his 27 games in a competitive season so far and are currently in his eighth place in the Championship and could finish in the top six if they can continue their performance in the second half of the season.
They had the worst defense in the top eight and had already conceded 37 times in the league.
The London club has been linked with a move for defender Antonio Cikvic, while striker Defrel could join the squad to further impact this season’s promotion battle.
Watford will join the race to sign Defrel in January.
Grégoire Defrel According to reports from Italy, Watford are in the race to sign Defrel as they look to add another player to their Serie A squad this month.
Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport has reported that Watford are one of the clubs interested in signing the 32-year-old Frenchman this month to add an attacking element to their squad.
However, Watford will face competition from three Serie A sides, with Udinese, Empoli and Cagliari also reportedly interested in the striker.
Watford may struggle to convince the French striker to join him this month, as they are unable to offer top-class football like the other three teams interested.
Sassuolo were previously reported to be ‘desperate’ to sell the striker this month, adding to the growing list of transfer talks between Watford and Serie A, given the Pozzo family’s links between the clubs in the area.
Players may be added.
Defrel could be a risky signing for Watford.
Grégoire Defrel 1 He is an interesting target for Watford in January, but Defrel needs to be aware of the transfer risks for the club.
The club were interested in signing the striker during his time at Roma, after a £20m bid for the striker was rejected in 2018.
Watford have since been relegated and their budget has been cut, but Defrel’s current form at the club has also been unpopular.
The Sassuolo striker was semi-successful with his Nevro Verdi, scoring 33 goals and assisting 20 in 197 games for the club.
However, his performance has declined significantly in recent years, peaking at 12 goals in the 2016/17 season.
Defler hasn’t scored more than three goals in a league match since 2019, but he hasn’t scored once in nine Serie A appearances this season.
It’s clear why Watford are targeting a striker in this slot.
Despite scoring nine goals this season, Mileta Lajovic has been inconsistent in his performances and has struggled to become the reliable striker the club is looking for.
Despite his experience with the team, it doesn’t seem like Defrel will turn back the year and do that at Watford.
If the striker does indeed receive a transfer fee and salary in Serie A, it could be a big risk for Watford to sign him in the January transfer window.
