As per one of the latest reports by talkSPORT, Watford are keeping close tabs on AS Roma forward, Gregoire Defrel and are keen to bring him to the Vicarage Road on loan for the rest of the season. The Watford attackers have been misfiring this season and thus, their apparent interest to sign another forward makes sense.
Defrel made his early developments with the youth setup of Parma but he couldn’t cement his place with their senior side. After a loan spell with Foggia, he moved to Cesena wherein he made a name for himself after his initial struggles. Serie A outfit, Sassuolo, made him sign on the dotted line in the summer of 2015 and he is spending this season on loan with AS Roma.
However, he has failed to churn out productive outputs with the Yellow and Reds and has been sporadically used. He has been handed merely 8 games in the Italian top flight, out of which 4 were cameos off the bench and he has failed to score even a single goal or bag an assist so far this campaign. He certainly needs to resurrect his career to avoid stagnation.
Watford are believed to have offered a loan fee of around £2.6million with an option to buy him at the end of the season for £17.5million. Defrel is arguably a decent player in the final third and his ability to play anywhere up front makes him a handy commodity. He is a good passer of the ball and links up with his teammates quite well in the offensive endeavours of his side.
The Golden Boys have recently appointed Javi Gracia as their manager and it seems that the 26-year-old might be his first signing as Watford manager. Defrel is well-built, is quite good in the air and his pace and movements on and off the ball enable him in creating a nuisance for the defence of the opposition, which is why his stocks are highly rated. It would certainly be unfair to rate him on the basis of his current stature at the Italian capital.
What appeals the most is his willingness to cater to the defensive aspects of his side as he tracks back and tries to win possession back for his side. He does have plenty of experience under his belt but then, he is unfamiliar with English football wherein it is a different ball game entirely. Nonetheless, he is a risk worth taking and Watford should really push forward to sign him.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored