Watford manager talks up possible move for exiled Spurs midfielder

Someone needs to buy Andros Townsend. So why not Watford? Reports today in the Guardian suggest that Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores is interested in our (currently) U21 winger as they look to improve and push for a top half finish in the Premier League.

And this wouldn't necessarily be a bad move for Andros. Townsend is a bit of a fish out of water in Mauricio Pochettino's intensive pressing as he doesn't really have the defensive nous to effectively implement that system. Watford would be different. Sanchez Flores plays a (mutable, modified) 4-4-2 behind Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, with wide midfielders that like to cut in and fullbacks that push forward and fire in crosses. Townsend has enough pace to stretch defenses, especially on the counter, and does have the ability to drift inside and find spaces in the open channels. It might be an ideal place for him to land, especially if Sanchez Flores can drill out his tendency to fire crazy shots from outside the box.

And it's not just me that thinks so: Sanchez Flores does too.

"He has the characteristics that we are looking for," said the manager. "We have players in the side who can play intelligent football but we need skill, we need velocity. We need to make a balance with these players and he has the characteristics. I don't like to talk about names but these are the kind of characteristics we are looking for."

Besides Townsend, Watford continue to be linked with now free agent Emmanuel Adebayor, though any deal would likely include an agreement with Spurs to assume a portion of his £100k/week wages, which Spurs are still paying. If the HornetMooses were to sign both, they would join former Hotspurs Heurelho Gomes and Etienne Capoue, who are both having fine seasons in the northwest of London.

There are unconfirmed rumblings that Spurs have already rejected a £10m bid from Watford for Townsend, and further rumblings that Spurs are holding out for £14m, a heady price for a player who hasn't played 90 minutes for Spurs' first team in two years. Spurs are obviously trying to cash in on the fact that he's a full England international who is still apparently in Roy Hodgson's good graces. I doubt Spurs will get that much, but they'll almost certainly get a good sum for their academy graduate. Whether that's from Watford or another Premier League club remains to be seen. There's still a lot of transfer window left.