Watford FC is seemingly looking towards a busy transfer window as the club officials are planning for a massive re-shuffle and revamp of the squad and the appointment of manager Marco Silva is just the preliminary indication of things to come.
Recent reports suggest that the Hornets are interested in signing the Middlesbrough left-back George Friend as they look to bolster their backline which had conceded an astounding 68 goals, absolutely farcical in the name of defence many might say.
The 29-year-old English International is contract bound at the Riverside till 2020 and is set to cost the Yellow army around £8m to prise him away from the Boros.
Let us check on his stats and see how much he would have to offer Watford.
Player Stats
The player has featured 27 times for the Smoggies last season and also has 2 assists to his name.
The 29-year old Englishman also has a good pass percentage of 77.2% and has made 11 key passes for his team. It shows the player does have the ability to contribute up front and create chances for his fellow teammates.
The former Doncaster Rovers player is also quite adept at his defending skills which is exemplified by his tackle success rate of 73.8% and a total of 56 interceptions.
The Boro full back also has impressive dribbling and aerial presence in his arsenal but his crossing ability had been awful last season with Boro which led him to end up squandering way too many chances in the final third.
Certainly a quality that is basic for a full back, he seriously needs to improve upon that, otherwise, the player poses a spotless resume. (Stats via WhoScored)
What’ll he offer the Club?
Watford are in dire need of full backs with stellar defensive attributes than attacking skills. Their defensive wall has been breached more often than not and needs some serious rectification.
The inclusion of George does seem justifiable as he might be able to give the opposition wingers and full-backs a hard time getting through and would also be tough to get past him.
Certainly an aspect that Marco Silva could look into investing although the player’s lack of top tier football and crossing abilities might make the Portuguese think twice.
Worth the Money?
Being priced at £8m, it does seem like a transfer that they could well take a risk upon. Plus under the guidance of Marco Silva, who last season famously came into the limelight after he broke Manchester United’s unbeaten streak in all competitions, he would no doubt be able to reap and harvest the best out of his players. Certainly a gamble worth taking for the Hornets!
All eyes on Marco with this one.
