Southampton FC update from Ivan Juric may alert Blackburn Rovers and Watford | OneFootball

Southampton boss Ivan Juric delivered a Maxwel Cornet update that may interest Blackburn and Watford

Blackburn Rovers and Watford have received a boost in their proposed January pursuit of Maxwel Cornet, after Southampton boss Ivan Juric confirmed that his Southampton loan is set to be terminated.

Juric confirmed that Cornet is likely to return to West Ham at his press conference before their weekend clash with Brentford, which will certainly have piqued the interest of Blackburn and Watford among others.

Both Rovers and the Hornets have been credited with an interest in the Ivorian, with the East Lancashire club eyeing up a permanent deal, although that quest is complicated by the fact Cornet has historical ties to Burnley.

Watford, meanwhile, would prefer a loan deal, but the ultimate decision lies with West Ham, who are his parent club.

Ivan Juric's claim is a boost to Blackburn and Watford

Although both clubs had been credited with an interest in Cornet, any deal ultimately hinged on Southampton terminating his loan, so now Juric has confirmed that it's highly likely to happen, both teams will be on red alert.

The ultimate decision on what the future holds for Cornet lies with West Ham, who have so far seen very little return on the £17.5m investment they made back in 2022, but it seems highly probable that he'll head straight out of the London Stadium.

The fact the Hammers signed Cornet from Burnley somewhat complicated Rovers' pursuit of the Ivorian frontman, as it's not truly known what emotional ties he still has to the Clarets.

Still, the fact they fancy a permanent move could appeal to West Ham, who know they could finally call in quits on Cornet.

Whether Cornet is happy to drop into the Championship remains to be seen, but a player of his quality would certainly boost the promotion hopes of any second tier club.

That will almost certainly be how Blackburn and Watford view this situation too, so they'll be delighted to see Juric's latest update that he'll soon be heading back to West Ham.

With the duo chasing promotion too, they'll know that adding a player renowned for finding magic moments could be the difference in the promotion race.