Fluminense president Mario Bittencourt has revealed that the Brazilian club have yet to agree a deal to sell Matheus Martins in a deal that could see him join Watford on-loan.

Given he is still only 19-years-old, it seems as though Martins is a player who could be set for a long career in European football.

Earlier this week, it was reported by UOL that Udinese - who like Watford are owned by the Pozzo family - are set to sign the midfielder for a fee of around €9million.

It was suggested that as part of that deal, Martins would then join the Hornets on loan in the January transfer window, and remain at Vicarage Road for the second half of this season.

However, it seems there is still some work to do before a deal can get to that point, with those involved seemingly someway from an agreement on the asking price.

Providing an update on those talks around the potential sale of Martins, Bittencourt was quoted by Brazilian outlet Netflu as saying: “The player is not sold yet. There’s a negotiation going on, it’s no secret to anyone. Since June, this group that controls Udinese and Watford has been trying to make proposals for the player.

“There was a very low one in mid-year. We understood that it was much below the market value and have been negotiating since then. About the price, I always say that the sale value is the market value.

"I invite you to do a study on the biggest sales of Brazilian attackers since the pandemic. Fluminense’s sales are among the top 10, with a fixed part plus bonuses.”

To date, Martins has made 46 first-team appearances in all competitions for Fluminense, scoring six goals and providing two assists in that time.

The Verdict

It does seem as though this could be one to keep an eye on over the next few months.

While no deal has seemingly been agreed yet, the fact Bittencourt has confirmed talks are ongoing over a deal, does indicate that there is an agreement to be reached here.

That means it may still not be a huge surprise if Martins finds himself at Watford in the second half of this season, given those links and previous deals with Udinese under the Pozzo umbrella.

Considering the promise that Martins appears to be showing given his rise in Brazil and the attention he is attracting, that does feel like an exciting prospect for those of a Hornets persuasion.