The Spaniard’s contract is up in a year and the Hornets allegedly believe a Premier League rival could pounce.
Watford fear that Javi Gracia may become the target of Premier League rivals after the club’s 100 per cent start to the season, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
Gracia only signed an 18-month contract when he arrived in January and Watford are hoping to tie him down to a new one as soon as possible.
The report quotes sources stating that Gracia has helped nurture a togetherness at the club that, coupled with their excellent form, has left Watford in a positive place that their owners certainly do not want to lose.
You can easily understand their fears, too, considering how things went with Marco Silva last season.
The then-Watford boss had only just joined from Hull City when he led them to a very impressive start, much like Gracia.
That, however, led to an approach from Everton once they had sacked Ronald Koeman and, despite it being rejected by the Hornets, Silva appeared to have had his head turned.
The club’s form dropped dramatically and resulted in Silva being sacked in January, just months after looking like a major success at Vicarage Road.
So you can certainly understand any desperation from within Watford to avoid such a situation just a year later, although it is also a stark reminder to not get ahead of yourselves when it comes to a good start.
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