Watford secured a thumping 1-5 win over Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium on Saturday in their latest Premier League outing to solidify their place inside the top half of the league table.
The Hornets have performed exceptionally well under the tutelage of Javi Gracia this season. They have collected 40 points from 27 league games, one point less than what they had mustered in the entirety of the previous campaign.
Gracia’s men are currently placed 7th in the standings and are definitely in the race to secure their qualification to the Europa League next season. Besides, they have also paved their way to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
Notably, they have lost just one of their last eleven games across all competitions. In order to keep the momentum going and proceed in the right direction, Watford must try to inject more quality into their arsenal in the summer.
Gracia might have already started to make the necessary moves behind the scenes as Hull Daily Mail has claimed that Watford are keen to lure Ituano forward Gabriel Martinelli to the Vicarage Road.
Apart from a host of Brazilian clubs including Flamengo and Corinthians, Martinelli is also believed to be on the radar of Leeds United. Besides, the report adds that he was also under the scrutiny of Manchester United.
Gabriel Martinelli: Player Profile
He started his youth career for Corinthians and often featured in the club’s futsal team. He had scored over 200 goals at the youth level and had trials with Manchester United and Barcelona before moving to Ituano in 2015.
The 17-year-old made his debut for the Brazilian outfit’s senior side last year, and in the process, he became the youngest player to do so in the club’s history. Notably, he is contracted with his current employers until 2022.
Will he be a smart addition for Watford?
Watford enjoyed huge financial success after signing Richarlison from Brazilian side Fluminense in the summer of 2017 for a transfer fee of just over £11m before selling him to Everton in a potentially £50m deal.
Martinelli is a highly rated young gun in Brazil and is apparently valued at £10m. He might be a work-in-progress at the moment, but there is no denying that he has the calibre to be a star in a few years.
However, signing for a Premier League club might be detrimental to his growth as there would be huge pressure on his shoulders. With many clubs pursuing him, it would be interesting to see which option he eventually chooses, but it might be something the Hornets can certainly look to take a chance with.
