Watford must test West Brom’s resolve to keep hold of 28-year-old in January: View | OneFootball

Highlights

When Watford appointed Valerien Ismael as their new head coach during the summer, fans began to speculate about many things.

What style of play would the new Hornets boss implement, for example, and, perhaps more importantly, which players would he look to bring to Vicarage Road?

One obvious candidate for the latter felt like West Bromwich Albion midfielder Alex Mowatt.

Mowatt had played under Ismael at Barnsley when they reached the Championship play-offs in 2020/21, and had been one of the important players in that team, so much so that he signed him at West Brom when he became boss at The Hawthorns, too.

With Mowatt having been sent out on loan by the Baggies, and being seemingly unwanted, and Ismael back in England, it felt like a good fit.

In the end, though, Mowatt was not one of the six signings Watford would make in the summer.

Alex Mowatt's West Brom contract

Since the summer, Mowatt has become increasingly involved and important at West Brom, playing regularly under Carlos Corberan as we approach the January transfer window.

However, there is one big issue for the Baggies, and that is that Mowatt's contract expires in the summer.

That means clubs can try and tempt West Brom to try and cash in on Mowatt whilst they still can.

Essentially, it all depends on how much Corberan wants to keep Mowatt at the club next season, and whether the Baggies are willing to financially commit to Mowatt going forward.

Watford should test West Brom's resolve to keep Mowatt

As such, Watford should be enquiring about the player, and perhaps even put in a bid for him, in order to really test their resolve and how much they want to keep him.

Sure, if Carlos Corberan had a straight up choice of keeping him or not, the Baggies boss would surely want him to stay.

But, when you consider that West Brom must commit to Mowatt financially, and the reported financial issues going on behind the scenes at The Hawthorns, it may not be as simple a decision as it seems.

Mowatt would surely be an excellent fit for the Hornets, too.

The Baggies midfielder has played under Ismael twice, knows exactly what the Watford boss demands and most importantly, is in good form as it is.

Watford could certainly do with bolstering in midfield, even more so if Imran Louza remains out in the cold, and Mowatt could be a credible option.