"Would be crazy" - Pundit reacts to Watford, Giorgi Chakvetadze transfer news involving Wolves | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer exclusively spoke to FLW about Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze, who is reportedly of interest to Wolves ahead of the January window

Pundit and former England international midfielder Carlton Palmer has instructed Watford to resist any potential transfer scenario which could involve the January sale of Giorgi Chakvetadze, who is reportedly on the radar of Wolves.

By and large, Watford have enjoyed a relatively strong start to the 2024/25 Championship campaign. After the first 12 exchanges, Tom Cleverley's side currently find themselves in seventh place and level on points with Blackburn Rovers in sixth, and they're only outside the play-offs by virtue of goal difference.

Results have been more inconsistent as of late, with Watford taking two victories and three defeats from their last five exchanges. A particularly impressive burst out of the blocks in August, where they won all five matches in the Championship and EFL Cup, is naturally doing some of the heavy lifting now as we head into November, but nonetheless, supporters can be extremely content with their side's league position.

While you can't exactly pin the entirety of Watford's relative early-season success on the shoulders of just one individual, it's pretty difficult to downplay the impact orchestrated by Chakvetadze thus far.

Giorgi Chakvetadze's 24/25 Watford form

At the heart of most of what is positive done from Watford is Chakvetadze, who has begun to announce himself to the Championship this season.

Now in his second season at Vicarage Road, the 25-year-old initially signed on loan from Slovan Bratislava at the beginning of the previous campaign, an agreement which Watford made permanently for a fee reportedly in the region of £2.5 million back in February.

They're now seeing real vindication from that investment.

Chakvetadze is very much the creative centerpiece of Cleverley's outfit at this moment in time, with only two players across the division eclipsing him for both chances created and expected assists per 90 minutes.

Although the Georgia international playmaker only has one goal and two assists under his stat-line, and none in his last six matches, the creativity he offers to Watford is second-to-none, and it's fair to say he's proving himself to be indispensible at the minute.

Carlton Palmer urges Watford to retain Giorgi Chakvetadze amid Wolves transfer interest

In an exercise doubtless tailored towards incoming advances following the turn of the year, Watford tied Chakvetadze down to a new five-year deal only last month.

It's hardly scared off suitors, though, and a recent report from The Sun has claimed that Wolves have registered an interest in a bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League alongside other undisclosed divisional rivals.

As per the report, Watford are holding out for a hefty £20 million sum in order to part ways with the attacking midfielder, and Palmer has urged them to retain him at all costs in January.

"Wolves are plotting a January move for Watford's talisman Giorgi Chakvetadze," Palmer exclusively told Football League World.

"Wolves need to bring in players, they sit second-from-bottom in the table and four points from safety with only two points, they're in serious trouble of getting relegated this season.

"They need to bring in players in the January transfer window and Wolves are not the only team looking at Chakvetadze.

"But Watford have started well, they're in seventh place and are level on points with the sixth-placed team in the play-offs. It would be crazy for them to sell their talisman at this point in time when they've got a chance at getting into the play-offs, and we all know what can happen.

"Wolves lack quality and they let good quality go in the summer, they haven't replaced those players and it's made it very difficult for Gary O'Neil to deal with.

"They look like they might have enough to get out of the bottom three, but they need to bring in quality players.

"Watford would be really disappointed, it would be a massive blow to lose him in the January transfer window and if that was to happen, they would need to bring in a replacement.