"Absolutely scintillating" - Pundit reacts as Birmingham City battle Watford for Amad Diallo | OneFootball

Despite the transfer window closing just days ago, rumours have already begun to surface linking players with their next move, which will come in the summer.

Birmingham City are without question, one of the most ambitious clubs in the Championship right now, as despite a season of turbulence on the pitch at St Andrew's, the Blues' new owners are willing to back Tony Mowbray with the resources required to make the club a strong force in the second tier.

As for Watford, they still harbour ambitions of a play-off berth under Valerien Ismael at present, and are still well-placed in the battle for fifth and sixth spot due to the overall inconsistencies shown by a number of sides in that respective race.

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, former England defender Carlton Palmer gave his verdict on which of the two sides Amad Diallo would be best suited to, amid the breaking news linking him with a move back into the Championship.

he began.

"He's currently on the bench for Manchester United at the moment. He wanted to see if he could get some first-team football," Palmer continued.

"At the end of the day, whoever gets this young lad on loan next season it will be a coup, because he is absolutely scintillating. He was outstanding at Sunderland, probably the best attacker in the Championship with his goals and assists.

Palmer concluded: "He'd be a perfect fit for anybody in the Championship, but he'd probably like to go and work with Tony Mowbray again."

Birmingham City and Watford face battle for Manchester United star

Although short-term objectives are different for the two sides at present, they could be locked in a fascinating transfer saga come the summer.

As Palmer alluded to, there has been significant news in recent days linking Birmingham and Watford to the Old Trafford winger.

That's according to a recent report from the Sun, who claim that the clubs have the Ivorian winger on their respective radars.

The report states that Mowbray will target his former Sunderland colleague in the summer, when more cash is available in the Second City. Meanwhile, it claims that Watford explored the possibility of acquiring his services in January, even with the idea of Udinese buying him and loaning him out to Vicarage Road, due to the Pozzo family's affiliation with the two clubs.

It continues by saying that Manchester United would require the clubs to pay the majority of his wages - an estimated figure of £28,846 per week, as per Spotrac - which means a substantial offer needs to be put on the table.

Diallo under Mowbray again?

It wouldn't be a shock to anybody to see Diallo work with the 60-year-old yet again, but in order to do so, the Blues must stave off their relegation fears, which have increased through recent results.

If Diallo was to move to B9, it would send a statement out to the rest of the division that Birmingham mean business next season. However, Watford will feel they also stand a great chance of securing his signature, given their pedigree towards the top end of the division in recent times.