Crystal Palace 'see £5m bid for Will Hughes rejected' by Watford
Crystal Palace ‘have £5m bid for Will Hughes rejected’ in blow to Patrick Vieira’s hopes of bolstering his midfield… and the club ‘are REFUSING to offer Watford more’ despite new boss’s pleas for backing
- Crystal Palace were reportedly in talks to sign Will Hughes earlier this week
- Watford believe the midfielder is worth more than the fee Palace have offered
- Hughes could leave for free next year after entering the last year of his contract
- The 26-year old has turned down the offer of a new two-year deal at Watford
Crystal Palace have reportedly had a £5million bid for Will Hughes rejected by Watford in a blow to Patrick Vieira’s hopes of bolstering his midfield engine room.
Vieira is still keen to bring Hughes to Selhurst Park but the Eagles are refusing to spend a penny more to secure his services.
Sportsmail reported Crystal Palace were in talks to sign the midfielder earlier this week but the club have now seen their initial offer rejected, according to The Sun.
Crystal Palace reportedly saw their £5million bid for Will Hughes rejected by Watford
Watford believe the midfielder is worth more than the £5m fee Palace have offered
Hughes has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Watford and could walk away for free at the end of the season.
The 26-year old has turned down the offer of a new two-year deal at Vicarage Road and as a result has been left out of first-team plans. He has been training with the club’s Under-23s following his contract snub.
After a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on the opening weekend of the Premier League, Palace will be looking to bolster their ranks for the remainder of the season.
Vieira urged his bosses to back him in the window and he wants a midfielder and two forwards
Vieira is looking to add a midfielder and two forwards to freshen up his squad.
Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson, Ademola Lookman of Red Bull Leipzig and Manchester City youngster Morgan Rogers remain among their options.
Speaking after the loss at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Vieira urged his bosses to back him before the window closes.
‘When you look at the bench we had today, I think the young players did really well in pre-season, but are not ready for that level,’ he said.
Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson remains a target for Palace if a move for Hughes is unsuccessful
‘It’s just showing we need to work, and work hard, to bring in a couple of players. We are a little bit short on numbers, and the young players we had on the bench are not ready to play at this level yet.’
Selhurst Park has already seen a flurry of business this summer as Vieira looks to rebuild his side.
Defenders Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen arrived to bolster the back-line while midfielder Michael Olise joined on a permanent deal from Reading.
Marc Guehi is one of the new faces in Palace’s back-line alongside Joachim Andersen
Conor Gallagher of Chelsea has joined on a season-long loan and back-up goalkeeper Remi Matthews provides competition for Vicente Guaita.
Hughes would add a greater depth to the Eagles’ midfield but Premier League new-boys Watford believe he is worth more than the figure Palace have offered.
When asked about Hughes on Friday, Watford head coach Xisco Munoz said: ‘Will was a very good player for us and gave everything in the last season.
‘And now my focus is with the players I have in the dressing room.
‘Sometimes football is football and about him I can say nothing more especially.’
Hughes, who arrived from Derby for £5m four years ago, rejected a new two-year deal
Hughes, who arrived from Derby for £5m four years ago, appears to have a made a dramatic U-turn in his thinking, having vowed in May that he was happy with life at Watford.
‘I’m really happy here, I’m settled, back in the Premier League,’ he said at the time.
‘There’s nothing better and that’s how I want it to remain. It’s as simple as that.
‘There’s no thoughts in my head about me moving elsewhere.’
Share this article
Source: Read Full Article