Premier League strugglers Watford failed to secure a January deal for Domagoj Vida with the defender’s agent telling Ajansspor that Besiktas remains ‘the number one’ choice for the Croatia international.
As far as managerial debuts go, Roy Hodgson’s first game in the Watford dugout panned out exactly as we’d expected.
A team that had looked about as secure as the proverbial chocolate teapot secured their first clean sheet of the entire campaign in Saturday’s tense stalemate at Burnley, January signing Samir pitting his wits against the fearsome Wout Weghorst and coming out the other side battered, bruised but victorious.
Samir was not the only central defender on Watford’s January wishlist, however.
Before Samir arrived from Udinese, The Athletic reported that the Hornets were ‘closing in’ on one-time World Cup finalist Vida.
But the tough-tackling, head-banging Croatian – once fined 100,000 euros after cracking open a can of beer on the way to a game – is still a Besiktas player.
Will Watford wish they’d landed Domagoj Vida?
“There are offers for Vida from Europe and the Arabian peninsula,” the 32-year-old’s agent explains. “But Besiktas is number one in Vida’s heart.”
Vida’s representative confirms that negotiations over a new contract at the Super Lig giants are underway.
The former Bayer Leverkusen man, who has nearly 100 caps for his country, will be a free-agent this summer. It remains to be seen if Besiktas are as keen on a new contract as he is.
Watford’s hard-fought point at Turf Moor means Hodgson’s side are just four points off Everton in 16th place.
Well, that’s how the more optimistic members of the Vicarage Road fanbase will be viewing the club’s current predicament.
Those with their glasses half empty will point out that, should Burnley and Newcastle pick up vital wins tonight – and if Watford lose at West Ham – then the Hornets will fall to the bottom of the table.
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