Watford finished eleventh in the Premier League last season and apparently, they have their eyes on Middlesbrough winger Marcus Tavernier as they aim to enhance their attacking arsenal.
The Daily Mail has claimed that the Hornets are showing interest in Tavernier as they are looking to beef up their home-grown quota. The winger had a difficult campaign under Tony Pulis last season at Middlesbrough.
Tavernier was not given as many opportunities as he arguably deserved and prior to leaving Middlesbrough last month, Pulis admitted that the player probably deserved more gametime to showcase his ability.
The attacker is keen to get regular game time under his belt in the Championship and despite Middlesbrough’s reluctance to let him leave the Riverside Stadium this summer, he might be tempted to move if Watford come looking for his signature as they would be able to offer Premier League football.
Marcus Tavernier: Profile
Tavernier spent his youth days at Newcastle United and Boro and made his professional debut for the latter in the second round of the League Cup back in August 2017 where he started in his side’s 3-0 win over Scunthorpe United.
He had a loan spell at Milton Keynes Dons during the second half of the 2017-18 season. Tavernier has represented the Under-19 and Under-20 sides of England and was included in the England Under-20 side last month for the Toulon tournament.
Will he be a good signing for Watford?
Tavernier mustered 20 appearances in the Championship last term for the Smoggies, 18 of which were off the bench, and he managed to score 3 goals and register 1 assist in the process.
The 20-year-old operates in the wide areas and has the raw pace to stretch opposition backlines. Besides, he makes himself available for his teammates’ passes with his good sense of positioning and has the tendency to put in crosses into the box. The left-footed player also makes his share of defensive contribution and regular time on the pitch would certainly help him in addressing his flaws and grow in confidence.
With reports claiming that Gerard Deulofeu is attracting interest from AC Milan and Torino are interested to attain the signature of Roberto Pereyra, losing the duo would cripple Watford’s attack considerably.
Tavernier might not be a proven package but he would, at least, be a good option from the bench for Gracia in the initial stages. But he will not be a like for like replacement for either of the two if they indeed make an exit. Tavernier will certainly help add quality depth to the squad but to expect him to replicate the productivity of the likes of Pereyra and Deulofeu will be unrealistic.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored