Watford FC keen on transfer swoop for 8-goal Cameroonian striker | OneFootball

Ivan Cedric, who is known to new Hornets boss Paulo Pezzolano, appears to be on his radar once more

Watford could be set to make a move for the Cameroonian forward Ivan Cedric, according to reports.

The Hornets are rebuilding following a disappointing season which ended with them finishing in14th place in the Championship.

Manager Tom Cleverley was somewhat controversially sacked at the start of May, and replaced by the Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano, who'd previously taken Real Valladolid into La Liga at the end of the 2023/24 season, but was sacked back in November himself following a poor run of form in Spanish football's top flight.

Hector Kyprianou has already become the Hertfordshire outfit's first signing of the summer, and now, it appears that Pezzolano is eyeing up a player he's already worked with.

Ivan Cedric eyed up by Watford after Barcelona loan stint

A report from AfricaFoot has claimed that Las Palmas striker Ivan Cedric is a Watford target this summer.

The 23-year-old has been playing this season on loan at FC Barcelona Atlètic, the Calatan giants' B-team, who were relegated from the Primera Federación - the third tier of Spanish football - at the end of this season.

Cedric's performances impressed nevertheless, with eight goals and five assists, and Pezzolano is seemingly keen to re-unite with him this coming season.

Figures from Transfermarkt

Barcelona, it is understood, had a purchase option included in his loan agreement with his parent club Las Palmas set at €3 million, but their relegation means that this will not be activated.

This opens the door to other clubs who may be interested, and it certainly helps Watford's case that they have a definite connection to this player via Pezzolano.

Ivan Cedric's connection to Paulo Pezzolano could help to seal Watford move

The connection in this case is Paulo Pezzolano. Ivan Cedric signed for Real Valladolid in 2022, spending the first year in the reserves before being put into the first team squad for the start of the 2023/24 season, while Pezzolano was the head coach there.

However, his decision not to sign a new contract meant that, despite impressing for the first-team in the early part of what turned out to be a promotion season.

He was dropped back into the reserves in November 2023 and left for Las Palmas at the end of the season, upon the expiry of his contract, who then loaned him out to FC Barcelona Atlètic.

Pezzolano, then, was the coach who introduced Cedric into the Real Vallodolid first team, his big step-up into the professional game after they signed him from another Primera Federación club, AD Alcorcón, in 2022.

AfricaFoot confirms that "Initial verbal contact has already taken place with the player's entourage", although it is likely that there will be competition for his signature from elsewhere.

Liga 2 club Leganes have already been identified as also having an interest in the player. With a year to run on his contract, any transfer fee would be expected to be modest.

But the lure of reconnecting with the manager who gave him his introduction to senior football could be a temptation for the player, and this puts Watford in a good position to secure his signature as they start their rebuild ahead of the new season.