Despite a fairly chaotic spell in the Premier League, at least where manager tenures were concerned, Watford were generally thought to be doing quite well for themselves, before this season finally saw them end up relegated back to the Championship. Nigel Pearson had already left the club with two games of the Premier League season to go, and the Hornets have now appointed Vladimir Ivic at the helm. Ivic, who was managing Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel before landing in Hertfordshire, will be tasked with taking the club back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking. The club are one of the favourites to go back up at many betting sites, such as sportwetten-deutschland.de, but they may have to do so without some stalwarts of Watford’s Premier League tenure, as there looks like there will be significant turnover in the playing squad.
It seems as if club captain Troy Deeney will be the first out of the door. The 32-year-old was vital for the Hornets, scoring 52 goals in all competitions in five seasons in the top flight, and a further 81 goals in five seasons in the Championship since joining them back in the 2010/11 season. Deeney is a seasoned and experienced player, and his influence was felt in the dressing room as well. While Watford would like to keep hold of him, there is an understanding that he wants to continue playing in the top flight and so they will not stand in his way if a suitable offer comes in from a Premier League side. Equally, it is also possible that Deeney sticks around and forms part of the core squad under Ivic.
Danny Welbeck, the erstwhile Arsenal and Manchester United striker, is sure to leave, while Andre Gray will be retained as backup due to his stellar record in the Championship. Luis Suarez, who has just returned to Watford after an excellent loan spell at Real Zaragoza in the Spanish Segunda, will slot straight into the first-choice starting lineup, especially if Deeney departs. Gerard Deulofeu is another high-profile player who will not stick around to play in the Championship, but the club want to keep hold of Ismaila Sarr if possible. Watford will only look to sell him if they receive bids of over £40 million.
In midfield, Abdoulaye Doucoure will depart, with Everton mooted as a potential destination, while Spurs and Fulham are also keeping tabs on him. The likes of Etienne Capoue and Tom Cleverley are expected to stick around, while it remains to be seen if Will Hughes can be persuaded to follow them.
Jeremy Ngakia’s arrival and Marc Navarro’s return from a loan spell at Leganes means that both Kiko Femenia and Daryl Janmaat are free to leave Vicarage Road. Pervis Estupinan, another loan returnee, was impressive in his time at Osasuna, with a number of top clubs being linked to him. Ben Wilmot, who was excellent for Swansea on loan, is expected to slot into the side in central defence. Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has been released, while the club are banking on Ben Foster sticking around and not leaving for a top-flight club.
All of these potential moves show just how much uncertainty there is regarding the squad at Watford for next season.
