Watford register interest in recent Fulham loan man with agreement to sign him was decided
Watford are interested in AC Milan full-back Fode Ballo-Toure after his loan spell with Fulham, Gianluca Di Marzio has said.
Watford are heading into their first full season under the lead of Tom Cleverley and new signings are sure to be on the agenda this summer transfer window.
The Hornets are determined to push back up the Championship table after a tough 2023/24 campaign and Cleverley’s bid to do just that will be aided by some signings of his own.
Numerous players have been linked but no one has come through the door yet.
Now though, a new link has emerged, with Fode Ballo-Toure said to be on the Watford radar.
Italian reporter Gianluca Di Marzio states that there ‘is a request’ from the Hornets with AC Milan, Ballo-Toure’s parent club. It comes after the Senegalese full-back’s season-long loan spell with Fulham, where he struggled to break into the side and only featured eight times.
Ballo-Toure’s spell with Fulham wasn’t exactly anything to rave about. He played more of a backup role with Marco Silva’s side, hence his limited minutes in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, he arrives with a good pedigree behind him and in the Championship, the 27-year-old could be a decent asset for the Hornets.
Ballo-Toure has spent time on the books of AS Monaco and LOSC Lille after coming through the PSG ranks and has 26 AC Milan appearances to his name too.
He can operate as both a left-back and left wing-back, so he’d offer Watford some flexibility in terms of which system they want to use. That will likely appeal to Cleverley as he navigates his way through his maiden campaign in the dugout.
A gap in the squad
The left-hand side has been pointed out as an area that Watford need another body in ahead of next season. A move for Ballo-Toure would plug that gap if it comes to fruition.
As it stands, academy graduate James Morris is the only natural left-back on the books at Vicarage Road. Right-sided prospect Ryan Andrews has played there and Ken Sema can full in as a full-back.
Having another more natural player in that position, and one who is more defensive minded than a natural winger like Sema, will be of great use to Cleverley.
It seems any interest is only at an early stage but with Ballo-Toure looking like a decent addition, it remains to be seen whether the link comes to anything more concrete in the future.
Watford are gearing up for another season of Championship football, this time under the lead of Tom Cleverley. The former midfielder has landed the manager’s job after a successful caretaker stint towards the end of last season.
