Fresh development shared as Swansea & Watford in transfer tussle for international defender | OneFootball

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Football League World

·28 March 2023

Fresh development shared as Swansea & Watford in transfer tussle for international defender

Article image:Fresh development shared as Swansea & Watford in transfer tussle for international defender

Watford and Swansea City are among a host of clubs in England that are keen on signing Bryan Reynolds, who should now qualify for a work permit.

The right-back is currently contracted to AS Roma, but he has understandably found game time hard to come by for the Italian giants, so he has spent the current season on loan with Westerlo in Belgium.


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It had been suggested that Reynolds could secure a permanent move away earlier this year, but it was thought there could be issues over whether he would hit the criteria to be able to play in this country.

However, in a fresh update, reporter Tom Bogert has confirmed that there are still clubs chasing the 21-year-old, whilst a recent appearance for the USA national team should increase his chances of a summer move happening.

Swansea and Watford are among the English clubs who have interest in Bryan Reynolds, as I reported last month.

Reynolds appearing for the USMNT in a competitive match this window + club minutes with Westerlo should qualify him for a UK work permit.”

The defender made his third appearance for the USA when they hammered Grenada 7-1 over the current international break.

Reynolds’ reputation will have also increased due to his performances in the Belgian top-flight, as he has been a regular this season for a Westerlo side that are pushing to finish in the Europa League places as we approach the final part of the campaign.

It remains to be seen what sort of fee Roma would want for Reynolds, who has only made eight appearances for the club since signing from FC Dallas in 2021. The youngster has a deal with the capital city club that runs for another two years.

The verdict

This is an exciting link for Swansea and Watford, as Reynolds would appear to be a very good addition for either club. He is a young, athletic full-back who can defend well, whilst he also has the ability to get forward.

When you consider his age, he has so much more room for improvement as well, so it would be a smart signing for whoever wins the race.

It seems Reynolds will move on permanently in the summer, which is probably the right thing for his career as he needs more game time. So, it will be interesting to see how this plays out, and what sort of fee is needed to get this deal done.

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