He’s got some deep pockets” – Reaction given to fresh Watford FC takeover update
This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Crystal Palace co-owner, John Textor, is reportedly interested in placing a takeover bid for Championship club Watford FC.
That’s according to The Sun, who have stated that this will only happen if he is able to sell his stake in the Eagles, but it is a promising move for the Hornets, whose current owner, Gino Pozzo, has started to look at selling the side in the near future.
The Italian has been in charge at Vicarage Road for the last 12 years, but a bid of £150-£175 million would be enough to see him relinquish control of the Hertfordshire club, after he put 10% of it up for sale in the summer.
Similarly, Textor is looking to sell his 45% share of Crystal Palace for £230 million to help fund this new move, with the American also the owner of RWD Molenbeek in Belgium, Bofatogo in Brazil and French giants Lyon.
Reaction made to Watford FC update
The Pozzo family have overseen a relatively successful period in Watford’s history, one where they have become a Premier League club for a sustained period of time, and under the guidance of Tom Cleverley, there is every chance that they could do that once again.
Textor will be hoping for a repeat of Palace’s recent years if the takeover does go through, with the South London side a regular in the top flight since they won promotion in 2013.
Football League World has asked their Watford Fan Pundit, Justin Beattie, for his immediate reaction to the news, and if he would be happy to see the American come in and take charge of the club.
He told FLW: “I think firstly we have to acknowledge what Gino Pozzo has done for Watford. We’ve had a sustained period in the Premier League under him, we’ve had some very exciting players coming in from South America and Africa, some of which have gone on to command some quite high transfer fees.
“So, I think we have to acknowledge what Gino has done for Watford.
“I also think we have to acknowledge that it’s now a case of he’s been trying to sell the club for a while and during his tenure there has been a high number of management appointments and sackings, as Watford are quite famous for.
“When it comes to John Textor, I think it could be a positive move in first of all clearing the owner debt, because most of our debts now are owed to Gino, so it could be good for those to be taken off the books.
“I suppose it also hinges on whether Textor is going to be an outright owner or a majority owner, whether it means that Gino is no longer involved in the club, or whether he still has some say in running the club. That would be interesting to see.”
