Watford are on the verge of signing Will Hughes for £8m but Derby should not fret.
Derby County’s Will Hughes celebrates scoring their third goal
The BBC have reported that Watford are in talks with Derby County midfielder Will Hughes after agreeing an £8m transfer for the 22-year-old.
On the face of it, a Premier League club coming in to sign a Championship side’s player would suggest Derby are about to lose one of their key assets.
Yet in truth the Rams won’t miss Hughes – someone who showed so much potential as a youngster but has failed to truly live up to that.
Admittedly part of the England Under-21 international’s progression issues have been down to injury, but looking at Derby since Gary Rowett was appointed manager in March would also suggest he didn’t really fit into the system.
Hughes started just two of the nine league outings after Rowett took charge and has since admitted that the season as a whole has been poor for him on a personal level.
Derby County manager Gary Rowett
The once precocious talent, who made his Rams debut aged 16 and was quickly linked with some of the biggest teams in the country, can now not get into the England Under-21s starting XI and has watched their first two matches at the current European Championships in Poland from the bench.
This is not to say Hughes cannot still come good and there is an argument to suggest his style better suits the Premier League than the Championship, but for the Rams this will not see their side fall apart.
Derby County’s Will Hughes
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