Domingos Quina has hinted that he was forced into a January loan move to Spanish side Granada from Watford, following positive talks with manager Xisco Munoz.

The exciting Portuguese youngster was expected to shine in the Championship this season, but ended up being in and out of Vladimir Ivic's team.

The Serb eventually settled on using the 21-year-old as a left-winger - a position that Quina himself doesn't think is his best - but he was getting minutes until suffering a hamstring injury.

Unbeknownst to fans and probably Quina at the time, the December 12 game against Birmingham would be his last as a Hornet for a while, as the decision was made for the former West Ham man to join La Liga outfit Granada on transfer deadline day in February.

The Spanish club used to be run by Watford's owners - the Pozzo Family - before undergoing a Chinese takeover, and Quina has already made an impact in Spain's top flight by scoring twice in four games.

Judging by Quina's words though, it sounds like he never wanted to leave Vicarage Road and that the decision to send him out into Europe was something done above Munoz's head.

"After my first chat with Xisco I was ready to stay because I had a great chat with him," said Quina, per the Watford Observer.

"He said he was excited for me to come back, he was excited to see me play and he was going to play me in my position - and I was really excited for that - but then some people thought it was better for me to leave and I didn't feel wanted.

"I felt like Granada were pushing for me more than Watford, or were trying to make me feel like I was going to get more game time than Watford.

"In the end, it was an easy decision but at the start it was hard, because of the conversation I had with the manager, because I was really looking forward to working with him as well, I was really excited.

"But some things you can't control."

The Verdict

Reading between the lines, it seems as though it was an ownership decision to send Quina to Granada.

Quina would have slotted into Xisco's system very well indeed, and it's hard to believe that the Spaniard wouldn't want him, especially when Quina himself has detailed their conversations.

This potentially makes things awkward though for when the player is due to return at the beginning of next season - it does essentially seem as though he was forced out of the club for the rest of the season and his comments probably won't be appreciated by some.