Watford youngster Adrian Blake is set to link up with Dutch outfit Utrecht in the coming days, according to an update from Fabrizio Romano.

The teenager, who has already appeared for the Hornets at a senior level, had been attracting interest from Premier League sides and had certainly caught the eye in Hertfordshire with the player being given the opportunity to shine in the first team.

Blake has made three senior appearances in total with all of them coming last term, coming on against MK Dons as a substitute in the EFL to make his debut and then starting against Reading in the FA Cup back in January.

Slaven Bilic, who was dealing with an injury crisis at the time, put out a weakened side at the Select Car Leasing Stadium and that benefitted the 17-year-old, although he was withdrawn at the interval.

His final appearance of the campaign came in the latter stages of the final game of the season, making his league debut against Stoke City but only being given a matter of minutes to shine against Alex Neil's men.

Who looks set to miss out on Adrian Blake?

Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were all interested in sealing a move for the youngster, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

The Gunners are a much more attractive destination than they were after a very promising 2022/23 campaign - and Man United have also become more respectable under Erik ten Hag.

A move to Tottenham may not have been ideal for Blake though, not just because of where they finished last season but also because youngsters including Jack Clarke have struggled there before.

Is this the right move for Adrian Blake?

If he's going to win plenty of game time out in the Netherlands, then he should certainly be considering this move because that would give him the opportunity to continue shining in Europe.

It would be an incredibly brave move considering not that many notable Englishmen have made the switch abroad, although he can take inspiration from the likes of Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho who thrived at Borussia Dortmund.

Kieran Tripper is another player who made the move abroad - and Blake may be able to take some advice from the trio if he's well-connected as he potentially looks set to adjust to life in a new country.

Game time does need to be at the top of Blake's priority list though and if there isn't, there at least needs to be a clear pathway for him to the first team there.

If he can get some valuable senior minutes under his belt and appear regularly in the Dutch side's matchday squad, that can only help his development.