"Don't think we expected" - Watford FC surprise issued as €25m Saudi deal reportedly close | OneFootball

FLW's Hornets fan pundit has urged the club to back Tom Cleverley with this significant cash influx

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…

Watford's summer rebuild under the permanent management of Tom Cleverley remains ongoing.

The Hornets' struggles in the Championship since being relegated from the Premier League in May 2022 have been well-documented. However, there is belief that the former midfielder can continue the form demonstrated throughout his interim tenure in the Vicarage Road dugout.

Watford have been guilty of underperforming in the second tier after finishing second in the division just three years ago, with last season's 16th-place finish the club's worst position in any league table since 2010, ending up just six points clear of Birmingham City, who were relegated to League One on the final day of the season.

Regardless, some within the ranks can still consider their seasons relatively successful on a personal level, and if Watford are to successfully rebuild next season, they could put it down to a reported major cash influx that looks set to come their way.

Watford urged to re-invest Yaser Asprilla influx as Saudi departure looms

That's because one of the star performers under Cleverley and Valerien Ismael looks set to join Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ittihad, in the form of Colombian playmaker, Yaser Asprilla.

Asprilla has been one of the Championship's most sought-after talents for quite some time, but now its seemingly a matter of time before his move to the Middle East is made official, as reports from Italy claim that the two clubs have agreed a fee in the region of €25m/£21m.

FLW's Watford FC fan pundit, Justin Beattie is extremely content with the mooted fee, but has urged the hierarchy in Hertfordshire to reinvest such funds into potential incomings.

"He will be missed at Watford. He is a young talent that was one of the bright sparks of last season.

"In terms of the fee, I think the €25 million is probably top end. I don't think we expected him to go for as much."

"It's nice, however, to bring that sort of money into the club. But, only if it's reinvested in player recruitment. In the past couple of seasons, we've brought in a lot of money in player sales, yet we don't seem to be reinvesting it back into the team.

"We're being told that there's loans from the Premier League coming in, but having a loan player isn't reinvesting into the team.

"It's very nice to see the money come our way, but it would be good to see it reinvested into the team, which we aren't currently seeing."

Although some major Premier League and European outfits such as Manchester United and AC Milan were said to be keen on Asprilla, the financial ramifications of joining a Saudi Pro League club make this a shrewd move for both club and player.

With the 20-year-old extremely keen on a move, the last thing Watford could've done was to stand in his way, keep him in the squad and then risk a potential fractious relationship, which isn't what the Colombian deserves after his stellar performances which earned him the accolade of Young Player of the Season at Vicarage Road.

The Hornets could also lose the experience of Dutch defender Wesley Hoedt to Trabzonspor after recent reports, and whilst it would feel like a damning blow in the short-term, the significant fees, if Watford re-invest correctly and adequately, they could soon be on the path to becoming a real force in the second tier once more.