Watford are reportedly eyeing up a summer move for Fenerbahçe S.K. midfielder, Josef De Souza. The Turkish outfit are demanding €16m for Brazilian and have already rejected a bid of €12m from the Hornets.
As summer window approaches, it will interesting to note the direction Watford takes in their pursuit but let us take a look at the player himself. Josef is a defensive midfielder who has three caps for Brazil and he is also adept at playing in the right-back position.
Souza has appeared in 31 games this season and has scored the ball twice and has furthered 2 assists. His offensive input might not be the most significant but his efforts on the defensive end are quite remarkable.
He is a ball winner at the heart of the park and is capable of providing cover from the wide areas. Souza has played the better part of his career in the Brazilian league with various clubs like Vasco da Gama, Gremio and Sao Paulo.
He has over 120 total appearances for Fenerbahce and has 5 Brazilian youth team caps. The midfielder is an experienced head who could help stabilize the Watford midfielder.
The Premier League side already has a brilliant central head in Abdoulaye Doucouré. The Frenchman has been an inspiring figure for Watford this season both offensively and defensively.
Doucoure has been the driving factor from the heart of the park and has shown instances of absolute brilliance. He has stood out from the pack with 7 goals and 3 assists from 32 all around appearances. He has bossed the Hornets midfield and a regular starter despite most of his midfield partners like Tom Cleverly, Ben Watson, Etienne Capoue getting rotated around.
Watford started off the season in scintillating form but eventually ran out of steam over the winter period.
It does not come as a surprise that elite teams have taken an interest in Doucoure and Watford might quite possibly be without the midfielder next season. An impressive run in top-division cannot be ensured without the most influential players and solid defence for the entirety of the season.
This is where Josef De Souza comes into the picture. The 29-year-old has performed exceedingly well in Turkey and Brazil all his life. Whether he can step into the shoes of one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League, in case Doucoure makes his way out of the club in the near future and continue his good run in top-flight English football is yet to be seen.
