Quique Sanchez Flores explains his plans for Ismaila Sarr

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Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores might have a new role for summer signing Ismaila Sarr.

The Watford Observer quoted Quique Sanchez Flores’ thoughts after he deployed Ismaila Sarr in an unusual position against Arsenal.

Flores picked up a well-deserved point against Arsenal in his first game back as Watford boss but one of his substitutions in the second half raised a few eyebrows. Summer signing Ismaila Sarr replaced Andre Gray and the Senegalese international took up the number nine role instead of moving wide to his usual position.

Speaking about Watford’s record signing after the game, Flores revealed what he thought was Sarr’s best quality. He said: “I think the best quality of Sarr is, of course, his skill. The velocity is something very pure and very interesting for us. This kind of player is giving us a break in lines – you put one as a striker, a good striker with big velocity between defence and midfielders.”

Sarr has played 113 times at club level so far in his career but just 19 of those appearances have come through the middle. The 21-year-old excelled in the wider areas during his time at Rennes where he used his pace and dribbling skills to get past players and cause serious damage in the final third.

However, Flores feels that he is more suited to a central role to break the lines which makes sense considering that that likes of Deulofeu and Hughes are capable of getting past people on the wings. Flores admitted that he wasn’t confident of his new role at first but claims that he has since progressed very well.

“He will run, separate the lines and find space. He’s there really to run. He’s very young, so it’s very interesting when he’s playing because at the start he was a little bit shy, but then little by little, he was more relaxed, more confident and to see the progress was really good and good for him,” he said.

With Troy Deeney out for the next two months and Danny Welbeck still yet to get back to full fitness, Sarr is likely to get more chances through the middle but fans need to be patient with him considering that it is his first campaign in a new league and potentially in a new position.