Crystal Palace are reportedly closing in on Watford outcast Will Hughes as the Patrick Vieira rebuild continues at Selhurst Park

According to The Sun, Premier League side Crystal Palace are set to sign Will Hughes from fellow Premier League club in a £10 million in the summer transfer window.

The 26-year-old has been with the Hornets since 2017 and has made 118 appearances for them, scoring eight goals and making ten assists. Capable of playing anywhere in midfield, he could perform several functions for Watford in the middle of the pitch.

As things stand, Hughes has been involved in a contract standoff with the Hornets and has subsequently been relegated to the team’s reserves. He is yet to feature for them this season.

Palac look set to land the player and give him a new challenge as he enters his peak. The Selhurst Park outfit are expected to work out a £60,000-a-week offer for the midfielder. They have tabled an offer worth £7 million plus bonuses.

Crystal Palace close in on Watford outcast Will Hughes as the Patrick Vieira rebuild continues at Selhurst Park
Will Hughes during his time with Derby County. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Hughes looks set to become the latest addition to Patrick Vieira’s rebuild of the Eagles. The French legend took over from Roy Hodgson earlier in the summer and is looking to usher in a new era at Selhurst Park.

Vieira has already brought in Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen to strengthen his defence, while Michael Olise has been added to the midfield. Bringing in Hughes will now add more depth in the middle of the park.

The 26-year-old was once touted as an excellent prospect but has since failed to live up to the hype. However, he has managed to establish himself as a senior professional and can do a tidy job on his day. Good at keeping hold of the ball and in defensive contributions, Hughes could form an impressive pairing with on-loan Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher.

The duo could form the bedrock for Wilfried Zaha, Olise and Eberechi Eze to express themselves going forward. Crystal Palace have picked up just one point from their first two Premier League games and are yet to score a single goal.

While finding the net has been a cause of concern, there remains much promise in the team’s young attacking midfielders. It remains to be seen if landing Hughes will act as the impetus for them to click going forward.

Moving for Hughes could mean Crystal Palace have given up on signing Huddersfield Town star Lewis O’Brien for now. The 22-year-old has much promise and also performed better than Hughes last season. However, with Palace now out of the picture, he could be on his way to Leeds United for a deal that could reach £7 million. Time will tell whether Palace have picked out the right man.

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