Watford are lining up a January move for Italian winger Francesco Di Mariano. Some reports in Italy have claimed that Marco Silva is interested in securing the services of the 21-year-old left winger and is ready to close in on his first January coup. The Novara winger is the nephew of Salvatore Schillaci, who starred for Italy in the 1990 FIFA World Cup and won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball after the Italian national team finished in third place. He is more well known as ‘Toto’ and scored the winning goal against England in the third place playoff which helped him finish with six goals in the competition.
It seems that Francesco Di Mariano will follow in his uncle’s footsteps and announce himself to supporters across the United Kingdom. According to Italian news outlet Gianluca Di Marzio, Marco Silva is ready to pounce on the Novara ace’s signature when the winter transfer window opens in January, after having been left impressed by his performances in Serie B.
The Italian winger joined Novara Calcio on 20 July 2016 following spells at U.S. Ancona 1905 and S.S. Monopoli 1966 while on loan from A.S. Roma. The 21-year-old midfielder has made 17 appearances for the Biancoazzurri this season and has scored three goals and made one assist so far. He currently plays alongside ex-Manchester United striker, Federico Macheda and former Barcelona, Swansea and Brighton talent Andrea Orlandi in the Novara team. The Serie B club also signed Alessio Da Cruz who is being chased by four Premier League clubs which include Arsenal.
The Hornets have made a good start to the season and currently find themselves in 8th place in the Premier League standings. They have scored 24 goals in 14 Premier League matches and currently possess a plethora of young exciting talents in their starting eleven. Marco Silva is likely to have identified that his squad needs to cope with injuries with games coming thick and fast over the festive period.
Hence, he’s out on the market looking for a midfield option who he can develop and nurture at Watford in the coming years. And Francesco Di Mariano fits the bill as he’s young and talented. The Italian winger can come in and provide competition for their Brazilian maestro, Richarlison for a place in the first-team.
It remains to be seen whether the Hornets can seal this transfer which may help the Novara talent develop into a full-fledged Italian international.
