Watford are under the interim lead of Tom Cleverley until the end of the season but come the summer, they’ll need to name a permanent boss.
Watford placed Cleverley in charge following the decision to part ways with Valerien Ismael. They’ve won once and drawn two since, leaving the Hornets 14th in the Championship table with six games remaining.
Time will tell just what the long-term plan is at Vicarage Road, but the club hierarchy will be sure to have options in mind. They’d be wise to have a top target lined up well in advance to give them time to settle and recruit over the transfer window too.
With that said, here are three managers Watford must target ahead of the summer…
Steve Cooper
Of those out of work, Cooper could be an ideal appointment. After success at Swansea City, Cooper would lead a remarkable turnaround at Nottingham Forest which culminated in them winning promotion to the Premier League.
He kept them there too, only to be sacked in December amid a tough campaign. Plenty of clubs without a boss will have him on the radar and Watford must be among them.
Pascal Jensen
A little more of a left-field option is 51-year-old Pascal Jensen, who saw his time with Dutch side AZ Alkmaar end in January after a little over four years. In his time there, they played European football regularly and never finished lower than 5th.
London-born Jansen could relish a chance to manage a Championship club and following a long spell at a good level of football, he could be a bit of a coup for the Hornets.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Last but not least is Dutchman van Bronckhorst, who has been out of the game since his exit from Rangers in November 2022. Having found success at Ibrox and previously with Feyenoord, it’s a little surprising that he’s remained out of the game for a pretty long spell.
He’d be another eye-catching coup for Watford and after a spell out of the dugout, van Bronckhorst could be intrigued by the challenge of getting the club back to the top-flight.
