Walter Mazzarri must be rightly applauded for the way he has steered an average Hornets side into the top half of the table. Despite bringing in certain exciting prospects in the winter, injuries have been a stumbling block for Watford this season and Mazzarri has had to shuffle and reshuffle his squad repeatedly.
Watford sit in the 10th position in the league table after a slim 1-0 win over relegation-threatened Swansea City. Finishing in the top half will definitely be a brilliant achievement for Mazzarri as the Italian boss has lined a number of targets for the upcoming summer transfer window. The club is bound to come back stronger next season and a positive end to the current season only helps it.
One of the prime areas of Watford that needs immediate reinforcements is their midfield. The bringing in of Tom Cleverley has surely made a huge impact for them in the second half, but Watford have a thin bench to back him up. The likes of Etienne Capoue, Valon Behrami and Abdoulaye Doucouré have started quite regularly this season, and Watford seems to lack a Plan B when they don’t click.
With only EFL Cup and FA Cup to aim for apart from the league title, which is a distant target for the Hornets surely, Mazzarri will ideally need to have more than one attacking dimension to pose a threat against tricky opponents.
And according to reports, Watford are eyeing a move for Elazigspor midfielder Hamidou Traore. The Super Lig talent has earned a lot of traction this season with his sizzling displays in the middle of the park, and if reports in Turkey are to be believed then Stoke City, apart from Watford, are also hot on his heels.
The 20-year-old Mali international has netted five goals this season so far in 25 outings, making a big impression in Europe. Clubs in Turkey like Trabzonspor and Basaksehir are keen on landing him and keep him in Turkey next season, but a Premier League offer might just prove to be too alluring an offer for the player.
As per reports, the club is quite open to letting their star player go if the right offer comes, and given how ambitious Watford have been of late, bringing in the likes of Roberto Pereyra and Mauro Zarate in transfer windows they could surely meet their demands.
A midfielder by nature, Traore can play also from the flanks. He can defend and attack with equal ease and could be a great addition alongside Tom Cleverley.
