Watford Boss Speaks Out On £43 Million Transfer Rumours
Watford head coach Valerien Ismael has claimed that he hasn’t seen “any sign of distraction” from star attacker Yaser Asprilla amid links to some top clubs in Europe this past week.
The Hornets are pushing for promotion back to the Premier League, having spent the last two seasons in the Championship. However, a difficult start to 2024 has left the Hertfordshire club ten points off the playoffs prior to this weekend’s results.
Ismael’s side picked up an important 1-0 away at bottom-of-the-table Rotherham United last weekend, putting a three-game losing streak to bed which saw the club drop into a mid-table position in England’s second tier.
Furthermore, Watford have managed to pick up merely three victories in 11 matches in all competitions since the turn of the year, including a narrow win over National League outfit Chesterfield in the FA Cup thanks to a goal from Tom Dele-Bashiru in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
it’s been a tricky campaign for the Hornets as results have been quite inconsistent on the pitch. However, one star who has shone the brightest is 20-year-old Asprilla. The Colombian has bagged six goals and recorded five assists under Ismael’s guidance.
Earlier this week, reports emerged from Spanish outlet Sport that La Liga champions Barcelona are interested in pursuing a deal for Asprilla once the summer transfer window rolls around, but face competition from clubs in the English top-flight.
This was backed up by journalist Adrian Sanchez who revealed that the Catalan club’s sporting director Deco has extensively scouted the playmaker and was left impressed by his displays as well as his versatility across the frontline.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of Watford’s clash with Huddersfield Town at Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon, Ismael was asked about the rumours and gave an intriguing answer [quotes via the Watford Observer]:
