Watford FC owner Gino Pozzo closing in on £125m deal - it's great news for the Hornets | OneFootball

The Italian is set to cash in on one of his football investments.

Watford owner Gino Pozzo is nearing a sale of Serie A outfit Udinese, which will allow him to put full focus on the interests of the Hornets for the foreseeable future.

It's been almost 13 years since the Italian took the reins at Vicarage Road. Three promotions to the Premier League, two relegations and a heck of a lot of managers later; it's been quite the ride for the club and their supporters.

All the while, Pozzo and his family have owned Italian club Udinese - they've ran the show for 39 years, in fact. During their tenure, the club initially floated between Serie A and Serie B (Italian first and second divisions) but they have been a mainstay in the top flight since they were last promoted in 1995.

Watford owner Gino Pozzo moving closer to Udinese sale

Udinese finished 12th in Serie A this season, but now Pozzo is looking to cash in on his investment and disassociate himself with the club.

Italian reports have stated that an American group are set to become the new owners of I Friulani, with the sale figure reported to be €150 million (~ £125 million).

The family, who have lived in London for some years now following their purchase of Watford, were said to be in talks with an American consortium in 2022 to sell some of their Udinese shares, as per The Athletic. At the time, the club was valued at £175 million.

If the sale goes through, Pozzo will be able to put his full focus into the running of the Hornets. The news from Italy had suggested that the family were to retain some level of ownership of Udinese as part of the deal. However, the Watford Observer stated that the Pozzo's would no longer have any shares in the Serie A outfit should the American takeover happen.

The owner is not looking to totally cash in his footballing chips though, as per the Watford Observer. He is committed to the Hornets and sees great potential if they can get back to the Premier League for the first time since.

Watford supporters should be encouraged by Pozzo's Udinese sale progress

Udinese's listing on the market has come as a surprise to those in Italy. The synonymous connection that the family has with the club is about to be broken.

An uncertain future may lie ahead for them, while Watford's future should, logically, be brighter as a result of it.

The sale should take away the Championship club's necessity to let go of their best players, like Imran Louza, Giorgi Chakvetadze and Kwadwo Baah, in order to fund their transfer plans.

Not all the money that the owners will make from the proposed sale will go straight to Watford's piggy bank, but it will allow them to be much more financially comfortable.

Newly appointed boss Paulo Pezzolano has a lot of work to do to get this side up from 14th to challenging for a top flight return. Getting there now should prove a bit easier with Pozzo's full focus on Vicarage Road.