Watford FC player expected to transfer to Italian outfit in summer of 2023 | OneFootball

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Football League World

·6 December 2022

Watford FC player expected to transfer to Italian outfit in summer of 2023

Article image:Watford FC player expected to transfer to Italian outfit in summer of 2023

New Watford recruit Ismaël Koné is expected to become a Udinese player before the start of the 2023-24 season, TUTTOmercatoWEB have reported.

The 20-year-old Canada international midfielder was only confirmed as a new Hornets player on Monday evening after they agreed a deal with MLS outfit CF Montreal for his services following his appearances at the FIFA World Cup.


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An undisclosed fee has been paid for the youngster which is higher than Montreal’s previous club-record of €6 million (£5.17 million), but Watford fans may not be able to enjoy Koné’s performances for very long.

Reports in Italy suggest that Koné will be ready-made to head from Vicarage Road to Udinese next summer and that that is very much the plan and thinking of Gino Pozzo, who is the owner of both outfits.

Quiz: What shirt number are these 25 current Watford players?

1 of 25

Article image:Watford FC player expected to transfer to Italian outfit in summer of 2023

What is Joao Pedro's shirt number?

10 9 8 12

It would not be the first time that players have been traded between the two clubs, with earlier in the year Hassane Kamara joining the Udine-based outfit on a permanent basis before being loaned back to the Championship.

The Verdict

Whilst it may be an initial plan to send Koné to Italy in the summer, things may change between now and then.

The most important thing in the short-term is that Koné performs well for the Hornets, where he is adding to a position that Slaven Bilic is short on in terms of numbers right now.

Koné has had a breakthrough season in the MLS and has just graced the worlds biggest stage, so he should not be overawed by Championship football.

If Watford do make it back to the Premier League at the first time of asking then there is always the chance that Koné could remain at Vicarage Road to get a taste of the English top flight, but apparently the current plan is for his stay in Hertfordshire to be a short-term one.

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