According to The Athletic, Burnley have joined the race to sign Watford maestro Will Hughes, who Crystal Palace also seem to be keen on.
What’s the story?
Well, the 26-year-old is refusing to sign a new contract at Vicarage Road.
Hughes has already turned down a new five-year deal, and with just one year remaining on his current terms, Watford have a decision to make.
Burnley are monitoring the situation, while Crystal Palace have already reached out and held talks with his representatives.
Newcastle and Aston Villa were also mentioned. However, The Athletic believe the pair now have other priorities.
Interestingly, The Athletic claim that the deal rejected by Hughes was worth over £50,000-a-week.
So, if Crystal Palace or Burnley are to sign him, you would imagine that they’d have to offer the ex-Derby playmaker more than that sum.
Crystal Palace in the driving seat
In our view, Hughes is more likely to join Crystal Palace.
According to Spotrac, the Eagles currently have five players earning more than £50,000-a-week.
In that respect, Hughes – who has made 77 Premier League appearances – wouldn’t upset the wage hierarchy too much.
However, Burnley’s highest earner is James Tarkowski, who takes home £50,000-a-week.
As we already know, Hughes has rejected that same amount from Watford, so Sean Dyche would surely have to make him Burnley’s best paid player.
Doing so could cause dressing room unrest, so in our view, south London is a more realistic destination for Hughes.
Keep an eye on this saga, as Watford surely won’t want to lose their No.19 for nothing next summer.
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