Although relegation might not be an immediate worry for Watford, their form is severely dwindling and getting worse for quite some time now. During the major chunk of first half of the campaign, the glimpses from the Hornets advocated that they were right in the scheme of things to bag a place inside the top ten spots in the league, but they have been absolutely pathetic and shambolic lately and one of the key areas of concern is the evident lack of goals and attacking flamboyance up front.
Walter Mazzarri’s outfit are one of the lowest scoring sides so far this term, having bagged merely 25 goals in their 22 outings and the lack of finishing prowess is one of the prime reasons for their downfall. Moreover, the gaffer doesn’t have the luxury of having trusted men in the wide areas, as a result of which their effectiveness from the wings have been quite marginal. They have been forced to manoeuvre a direct approach which has made them a sluggish one-dimensional side at the moment. So, despite a busy transfer window, do Watford need one last piece of the puzzle to look for?
Mazzarri thinks so, as reportedly, he has put Angers winger Nicolas Pepe on his wish-list and is aspiring to lure him to the Vicarage Road amidst interest from a lot of other Premier League outfits. Pepe is unarguably one of the hottest properties in Ligue 1 at the moment.
Having made an impact in the last two years, the 21-year-old has cemented his spot at Angers, bagging 15 appearances so far in the top tier of the French league, scoring a couple of goals and assisting once. Not to mention, the Ivory Coast international has also created 6 chances so far and thus, it’s no surprise why he is deemed as one of the finest talents to have emerged lately.
Pepe is sharp, technically sound, never refrains from running at the defenders, constructs crosses and has blistering pace in his legs which make him a very useful winger for any side. Moreover, he is an excellent player to watch, he scores goals and makes the attackers feel comfortable with the way he cultivates spaces and goal scoring opportunities for them.
Although he is contracted with Angers until 2019, Watford must tempt the Ligue 1 outfit in order to ensure that they reinvent their attacking productivity and excellence.
Statistics Credits: Squawka.