Watford boss Claudio Ranieri is keen on bringing Arsenal star Sead Kolasinac to Vicarage Road to improve their defence amid a relegation battle.
According to Watford Observer, Watford are reportedly in talks with Arsenal over a move for Sead Kolasinac in January to solve their problems at left-back.
Sead Kolasinac started his career rather brightly in Arsene Wenger’s last season at the club. His form has dropped to unprecedented levels in the subsequent seasons, as the player always looked out of favour under Mikel Arteta.
Last January, he left the club to join Schalke on a six-month loan deal, as the German side suffered a historic relegation from the Bundesliga. He subsequently returned to Arsenal and took part in the club’s pre-season preparations.
However, since Arsenal signed Nuno Tavares from Benfica in the summer, Kolasinac has dropped down the pecking order in the left-back position. However, alongside a few substitute appearances, the Bosnian played a single game at centre-back early in the season when the team struggled with defensive injuries.
With his future at Arsenal looking bleak, Kolasinac might find comfort in yet another move away from the club in the upcoming transfer window. Watford are reportedly interested in signing the Bosnian in a six-month loan deal next month.
Considering Kolasinac’s contract with Arsenal ends in the summer, it’s quite a puzzling offer. The Gunners might prefer to sell him outright and hope to get some transfer fees in the process. However, the north London side will be content with getting his wages off their books even if it means forgoing a transfer fee.
Watford might be looking at a temporary solution and may not afford to pay the Bosnian’s salary in full; hence the idea of a loan move is being floated around. Since one of their current left-backs, Adam Masina, will be going away to the AFCON next month, Ranieri will be left with Danny Rose as the only recognised player in the position, which is why they are pushing to sign Kolasinac.
While they have initiated talks with Arsenal over a move, from the looks of it, the Hornets may not be interested in a permanent move for Kolasinac. However, should he join the club next month and perform well for the rest of the season at Vicarage Road, they could always look to sign him on a free transfer in the summer.
