Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish has claimed that Leeds United defender Barry Douglas would be a big signing for Watford if they can pull it off.

Douglas could be set to leave Leeds this summer, having made just a single League Cup appearance for Marcelo Bielsa's side this season, and the Scot is attracting plenty of attention from the Championship.

Blackburn Rovers have been heavily linked with a move for the left-back recently, but Watford are also said to be interested in the 31-year-old, and McLeish believes it would be a good move for the Hornets if they can bring Douglas to Vicarage Road, as they look for a quick return to the Premier League this season.

Speaking to Football Insider about the possibility of Watford completing a deal for Douglas, McLeish said: “Watford aren’t in the Premier League, they’ll be smarting the fact that they were relegated, they will feel like they have something to prove.

“Troy Deeney, etcetera, in that dressing room will be cracking the whip and telling the other players in that dressing room that we have to get back to the Premier League.

“To do that in the Championship, there has to be a massive level of consistency and Douglas has got that experience. If Watford go for him then you would think he would add to the squad.”

Douglas joined Leeds from Wolves back in the summer of 2018, and currently has just under 12 months remaining on his contract at Elland Road, meaning he could leave the club for free at the end of this season.

The Verdict

You do find yourself agreeing with McLeish here.

Following the disappointment of relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season, the Hornets will no doubt be desperate to get back to the top-flight of English football as soon as possible.

Bringing in Douglas, who knows all about being part of a Championship title-winning team, having already achieved just that with both Wolves and Leeds, could therefore add a useful element of experience to their side in that respect.

It has already been a promising start to the league campaign for Watford, and it does feel as though completing the signing of Douglas would be yet another lift for them in the early part of the campaign.