One winner and one loser at Watford if club make January swoop for Manchester United man | OneFootball

Championship side Watford are interested in signing Facundo Pellistri in this January transfer window, according to a report from The Telegraph.

Hornets boss Slaven Bilic is keen to sign the 21-year-old on loan for the remainder of the season, as the Croatian looks to bolster his squad.

This news emerged after the Uruguayan made his official debut for Man United in Tuesday night’s EFL Cup win over Charlton Athletic, despite him being at the club since 2020.

The winger joined the Red Devils in the summer transfer window of 2020 from Uruguayan side Penarol, but since arriving, he has spent most of his time on the fringes of the first team squad.

It was decided by United manager Erik ten Hag that the attacker would stay Old Trafford in the summer, as the Premier League club were low on attacking options and the 21-year-old had just suffered a nasty injury that ruled him out for a few months.

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Pellistri’s agent is said to be in England at present, with a view to sorting out his client’s immediate future.

As we wait to see if the Hornets are genuine about their interest in Pellistri, here at FLW, we have looked at one winner and one loser at Watford if the club were to sign the winger…

Watford winger Ismaila Sarr has been crucial to the club ever since he arrived from French side Rennes.

There has been a weight of expectation on the 24-year-old’s shoulders as he has been seen as one of Watford’s key attacking players no matter what division they are playing in.

Therefore, if Watford were to bring in Pellistri this month, this could be a real boost for Sarr. Pellistri’s arrival at Vicarage Road would surely take some of the burden off Sarr, as he’s been the key man in Watford’s attack especially from the wide areas.

Bilic isn’t blessed with several strong options in the wide areas, so if he could bring in Pellistri and have him and Sarr on either side, this would change the dynamics of the team.

Since joining Watford, Sarr has managed to score 30 times for the club and produce 22 assists, and has therefore always been seen as the go to man. However, this season the winger hasn’t been his usual self, with him only managing six goals and four assists so far in the Championship.

Pellistri arriving could take some of the pressure off Sarr and help the 24-year-old just concentrate on his game and help Watford push for promotion this season.

While there is also a possibility that the arrival of Pellistri from Man United could pave the way for Sarr to leave the club this month if there is sufficient interest. Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the winger, but as of yet nothing has materialised, that could change as we get later in the transfer window.

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Britt Assombalonga

Nottingham Forest Adana Demirspor

Loser: Samuel Kalu

Kalu joined Watford in January last year from French side Bordeaux, but since arriving at Vicarage Road, the winger has struggled to adapt to English football.

The 25-year-old has been on the fringes of the first team squad this season, with him appearing in only 10 of the 26 matchday squads in the Championship this season. While the attacker has only appeared on nine occasions in the league, with the majority being late cameos from the bench.

Kalu is yet to register his first goal for the club, and even since the change of manager, he still hasn’t managed to force himself into the plans of the first team.

Therefore, if Watford were to bring in Pellistri this month, Kalu would surely find himself further down the pecking order. So, it could be possible that the 25-year-old departs the club this month, either on a permanent basis or on a temporary one, considering his lack of game time in this campaign.