The England U21 star, who has played over 150 times for Derby County, was valued by fans at way over £15m. Watford may be able to get him for much less.
Derby’s Will Hughes
Derby County fans could be forgiven for furiously reacting to news that their star midfielder Will Hughes is close to a £5m switch to Premier League side Watford, as reported by HITC Sport, given that they value him at a significantly higher price.
The 22-year-old, who recently captained the England U21’s, had been valued by Derby fans between £15m and £25m, while the Telegraph had reported that he’d been regularly watched by the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona.
Seeing as the reality couldn’t be more different and Hughes looks to be joining Marco Silva’s revolution at Vicarage Road, just what went wrong for Hughes, and how has the vast majority of fan opinion been so different to the actual figure?
Hughes extended his contract until 2020 in January, as reported by BBC Sport, but the Rams’ midfielder hasn’t performed to the level he was expected to perform to this season, which may explain the £5m fee.
Liverpool’s Emre Can in action with Derby’s Will Hughes
One big criticism repeatedly fired in Hughes’ direction is that he struggles in big games and you never notice him in such encounters, and generally that’s the case – there’s the odd exception such as the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest in 2014 or the 4-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the play-offs, but otherwise he can be quiet in the games that matter.
The underachievement this season and the notion that he hides in big games may have contributed to the £5m fee, and really Derby should have cashed in a year or two ago when there was genuine talk that £10m could have been offered. Watford’s gain is Derby’s loss.
Derby County’s Will Hughes scores their third goal
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