Ipswich Town are reportedly preparing to submit a bid for Watford midfielder Tom Dele-Bashiru.
The former Premier League side enquired about the 25-year-old back in January, but were put off by Watford’s asking price.
The Nigerian Under-23 international only made 30 appearances last season in all competitions due to a knee injury, scoring four goals in the process, as his side finished 14th.
Ipswich Town Pressing On After Relegation
After suffering relegation from the Premier League last season, there’s no doubt the Tractor Boys will be pushing for promotion straight back to the first tier next season.
They don’t seem to be hanging around on the transfer front, and are debating whether or not to make a new approach for the 25-year-old midfielder.
Kieran McKenna’s side needs some midfield reinforcements, with McKenna already confirming that midfielder Massimo Luongo will leave the club, alongside the fact that loanees Kalvin Phillips, Julio Enciso and Jens Cajuste will all be returning to their parent clubs.
It is clear that the Tractor Boys require bodies in that position, with Dele-Bashiru being reported as one of their targets to fill this vacancy.
Watford in The Driving Seat
Dele-Bashiru signed a new Hornets contract last summer, meaning he is contracted at Vicarage Road until 2026, with the club also having an option to extend his contract by a further 12 months if they wish to do so.
This means that Watford are in the driving seat when it comes to the deal, with no pressure to sell the 25-year-old, who essentially still has two years left on his deal.
According to reports, the London-based outfit are looking for around £8 million for the Nigerian.
Although losing one of their key players will be a blow, it could allow new manager Paulo Pezzolano to put his own spin on the squad in the transfer market with a bigger budget. Especially as the aim at the club next season seems to be pushing for play-off football.
Writer’s View
It’ll certainly be interesting to see what Watford decide to do, whether they choose to cash in on a player that they reportedly value at around £8 million, in order to be able to spend more in the window, or whether they keep Dele-Bashiru and keep with the budget Pezzolano has already been given.
For Ipswich, they obviously rate the 25-year-old if they are going in for him a second time, however, the question will be is he worth the money they are going to pay for him, especially if they bounce back up to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
