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waterford A summer move for a “quality” midfielder is now being considered and he could be new manager Edward Steele’s first signing.
Honeymooners eye new signings after appointing Steele
Wasps have confirmed the appointment of Steele on a two-and-a-half-year contract, with the 35-year-old set to make his debut against Preston North End at Deepdale this weekend.
To be fair, the appointment raised eyebrows given the Belgian-born manager’s inexperience, with former striker Troy Deeney also raising questions about the ambitions of the likes of Gino Pozzo.
Steele’s team ranked 11th championshipThey are just three points away from the play-offs so there is still a chance of success this season despite recent poor form, but although it is not yet clear which division they will be in next season, new targets have been identified ahead of the summer.
According to a report from Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), Watford are now considering a summer move for Cesena midfielder Matteo Francesconiwho could end up being Steele’s first signing.
The Hornets have been keeping a close eye on the midfielder but they are not the only club looking to sign him, with Portuguese side Famalicao also preparing to submit a formal offer.
For now, however, Francesconi remains happy at his boyhood club, with Cesena vying for promotion to Serie A this season and it’s unclear what fee the Italian side will be willing to pay.
Francesconi could be ‘excellent’ signing for Watford
The former striker spoke after Cesena’s last season’s game against Juventus Stabia Emanuele Chiaretti He specifically praised the Italian master and said: “He’s a different player today than he was in his first game: he’s got the right confidence in the pace of the game, his technique is very clean and he had a good game against a quality team.”
The 21-year-old has since cemented his place in the starting XI and has made 21 appearances in Serie B this season. In the last game, a 2-0 win over Pescara, the youngster showed an all-round performance, not only scoring goals but also making a number of key defensive contributions.
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Matteo Francesconi’s key stats against Pescara |
Completed quantity |
|
Clearance |
5 |
|
intercept |
1 |
|
blocked |
3 |
|
Tackle |
2 |
There are plenty of signs that Francesconi may now be ready to test himself at a higher level, so it would make sense for Watford to pursue a move this summer.
However, Steele’s most important task is to get Hornets back on track for the playoffs, starting with his team’s trip to Deepdale on Saturday.
