Spanish winger Gerard Deulofeu will leave Barcelona on a permanent basis, with the player reportedly set to complete a €10 million transfer to Watford.
Spanish publication AS are claiming that a deal is in place to see Gerard Deulofeu seal a permanent transfer to the Premier League. Watford are close to sealing a €10 million deal to sign the Barcelona star, who was on loan at the Premier League outfit for the latter half of the 2017-18 campaign.
Gerard Deulofeu has endured a rather difficult senior footballing career thus far. Ascending from the fabled Las Masia setup, the explosive winger was earmarked for big things. But, the player has failed to establish himself as a regular at Barcelona and has seen himself being hauled out on several uninspiring loans, including a transfer to Everton wherein Barcelona activated the player’s buyback option to facilitate his return to Camp Nou.
At Watford, Deulofeu felt a bit comfortable and at home, with tactics enabling him to be his explosive self going forward. That the player was often favoured by new manager Javi Gracia over Richarlison was a testament to the Spaniard’s ability.
And it seems he has left a positive impact at Waford, who are now looking to bring the Barcelona winger over on a permanent basis as Javi Gracia seeks to build his squad for the 2018-19 campaign.
Barcelona, on the other hand, seem to be welcoming the prospect of Deulofeu’s exit, mainly because of the player not being in Ernesto Valverde’s plans, which saw him being loaned out for the second half of the season in the first place.
According to the report, Barcelona are prepared to sanction the sale of Deulofeu to Watford, despite the Hornets willing to offer only €10 million for his services.
Watford have just Richarlison and Dodi Lukebakio as the two options out wide for the senior squad, with Roberto Pereyra also capable of being manned out wide in attack. But, Lukebakio is not deemed ready enough to become an outright starter for the Hornets, meaning reinforcements in the wing area are due to arrive at the club in the summer.
For €10 million, Deulofeu could turn out to be a steal of a deal for Watford. For one, the Spaniard’s explosiveness and ability to be a threat out wide is already established. If the Barcelona man can find it in himself to be consistent on the pitch, the fee will look marginal in the years to come.
