Watford are ready to strengthen their squad for the 2018/19 season and have pegged 18-year-old, Ben Wilmot to be key in their future plans. The defender currently plays for League Two outfit, Stevenage FC and have drawn heavy interests from multiple Premier League outfits.
It was earlier reported that a bid of £500,000 from the Hornets was rejected in the January window as Stevenage wanted something closer to the £1m mark.
The chairman of the club, Phil Wallace said he was ‘a defender that will play at the highest level’ in his programme notes. Manager, Darren Sarll also said that Wilmot reminded him of Swansea City player, Alfie Mawson, who he brought into Brentford when he was youth team manager.
The Boro head coach was quoted, “He didn’t look 18, did he? He’s got a reading of the game, and an intelligence. I was very lucky at Brentford that I recruited a young man called Alfie Mawson, who’d been released from Reading.”
“They have a very similar compatibility between them as players and people. Both have got a fantastic desire. Alfie has gone on to play at the very top and for his country (at Under-21 level). Listen, regardless of whether Ben plays for his country or not, I think he’ll play at the very top.”
Wilmot is new the senior team football but he seems to be catching on pretty fast, judging by the 15 appearances he has made this season. Obviously, the jump to one of the top-flight teams will make his talents even more desirable when it is proven against the country’s elite.
There always are rising talents in the lower divisions who manages to catch the eyes of scouts every now and then, but very few cases manage to break into the first teams.
Ryan Sessegnon is one of the brightest names that is being thrown around all over Europe. The Fulham winger/fullback could well be out on his way to a prestigious top-flight club while earning the Championship outfit millions in the process.
Wilmot could turn out to be a massive acquisition for Watford’s future but only if he is given the fair chance to showcase his talents. The Hornets have taken a major beating in the second half of the 2017/18 season and could do with some restructuring.
Only time will tell if Wilmot’s talents are capable of handling the likes of Mohamed Salah, Kun Aguero and Harry Kane or they are just the highlights of the lower divisions.
