Watford transfer news: Twist emerges regarding the future of £17.1m-rated Hornets-linked ace | OneFootball

Watford will be hoping to mark their return to the Premier League with a victory in their opening day clash with Aston Villa on August 14th.

With preparations already well underway for the upcoming campaign at Vicarage Road, it will be intriguing to see whether Hornets manager Xisco Munoz is able to assemble a squad which is capable of achieving a relative amount of success in the top-flight.

The Spaniard has already made a brisk start to the summer transfer window by securing the services of six new players and has recently been linked with a move for one of Sporting Lisbon's exciting talents.

A report from Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb (as cited by Sport Witness) earlier this month suggested that Watford were closing in on a deal for Jovane Cabral.

The winger, who is a graduate from Sporting's famous youth academy, illustrated some real signs of promise last season as he provided 13 direct goal contributions in 28 appearances for the club.

However, despite the nature of Cabral's performances, it seems as if a decision has now been made by the reigning Liga NOS champions in relation to his future.

Record (as cited by Sport Witness), Sporting are now willing to cash in on the winger after altering their transfer stance.

It is understood that the Lions currently value Cabral at €20m (£17.1m).

As well as attracting interest from Watford, the 23-year-old is also reportedly

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GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

When you consider that Cabral's current deal at Sporting is not set to expire until 2023, Watford may have to meet the club's valuation if they are to secure his services this summer.

Whereas the winger certainly possesses a great deal of talent, there is no guarantee that he will necessarily be an upgrade on the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Ken Sema who both produced a number of impressive displays in the second-tier last season.

Although Cabral managed to average a relatively impressive WhoScored match rating of 6.72 in the Portuguese top-flight during the previous campaign, he may struggle to adapt to life in the Premier League.

With Watford needing to make a positive start to the 2021/22 season, they may find it more beneficial to splash the cash on a player who knows exactly what it takes to compete at this level instead of taking a risk on Cabral.