Watford defender Samir has emerged as a target for Italian side AC Monza, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport (as cited by Sport Witness).
It is understood that Monza are currently weighing up a move for the Brazilian who sealed a switch to Vicarage Road earlier this year.
If the Serie A outfit are unable to finalise a deal for Shakhtar Donetsk defender Marlon, they are expected to step up their pursuit of Samir.
Since making the move to Watford, the defender has managed to establish himself as a key member of the club's squad.
During the second half of the previous campaign, Samir made 19 appearances in the top-flight for the Hornets.
Despite showing some glimpses of promise, the 27-year-old was unable to prevent Watford from suffering relegation to the Championship as they finished 19th in the Premier League standings.
Hornets head coach Rob Edwards will be looking to call upon Samir's services when the 2022/23 campaign gets underway.
Set to face Sheffield United on August 1st, Watford will be determined to secure a positive result in this fixture.
Having already parted ways with centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou this summer, Watford's resolve regarding Samir could now be tested.
The Verdict
When you consider that Watford purchased Samir for a fee believed to be in the region of £4.5m from Udinese, it may take a major bid from Monza to convince the Championship side to sell the defender this summer.
For the Hornets' sake, they will be hoping that Monza reach a breakthrough in their negotiations with Shakhtar over Marlon as this will effectively end this particular pursuit.
Although Samir only managed to average a WhoScored match rating of 6.53 in the Premier League last season, there is no reason why he cannot go on to deliver the goods on a more consistent basis in a lower division later this year.
If Watford fend off interest for the defender and secure the services of some fresh faces between now and the end of the transfer window, they could go on to achieve a great deal of success in the new term.