A buy-back clause will not be included as part of the deal that we will see Moussa Sissoko move from Watford to Nantes, according to the Watford Observer.

A report from The Athletic yesterday suggested that the Hornets would hold an option to re-sign Sissoko if they secure promotion back to the Premier League.

Contrary to this report, it is understood that Nantes have not agreed to this arrangement and are instead going to complete a straight £1m move for Sissoko.

The Frenchman has turned down other moves in order to secure a switch to Nantes due to the fact that Watford will receive a transfer fee from the Ligue 1 side.

A clause included in Sissoko's Watford contract last year has allowed him to seek an exit following the club's relegation to the Championship.

During the previous campaign, the 32-year-old made 36 appearances for the Hornets in the top-flight as they finished 19th in the league standings.

With Watford set to face Sheffield United on August 1st, it will be interesting to see whether they are able to strengthen their squad in the coming weeks.

Whereas some of the club's Championship rivals have made signings this summer, the Hornets have yet to complete any moves.

 

 

The Verdict

Given that Sissoko will not be returning to Vicarage Road in the future, it will be intriguing to see whether Watford decide to add to their options in central-midfield ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Whereas head coach Rob Edwards will be able to turn to the likes of Imran Louza, Tom Cleverley and Domingos Quina for inspiration next season, he may be keen to stamp his authority on the club's squad by adding some fresh faces in this particular position.

Providing that Edwards is able to draft in some classy operators this summer, there is no reason why Watford cannot go on to achieve a great deal of success in the absence of Sissoko.

As for the former Tottenham Hotspur man, he will be hoping to help Nantes push on in Ligue 1 after the club sealed a ninth-place finish in this division earlier this year.