Watford are continuing to have discussions with Aston Villa regarding central defender Kortney Hause.
That is according to The Athletic, who report that the Hornets are in talks with the Midlands club, although say things are not at an advanced stage yet.
The two clubs have reportedly agreed on a loan deal to send forward Keinan Davis to Vicarage Road on a season-long loan and the Hornets will be hoping they can secure a similar deal for central defender Hause.
Watford's interest in the Villa defender emerged late last month when current Hornets defender Samir was linked with a move away from Vicarage Road.
It appears Samir is set to join Mexican side Tigres, leaving the Hornets short of a left-footer in their back-line.
Another name linked with Watford at the time were Brighton and Hove Albion's Matt Clarke.
It remains unclear whether a move for Hause would mean that the Clarke deal is off, or vice versa.
Kortney Hause joined Aston Villa back in 2019, initially on a loan deal, but this was made permanent just a few months later.
His first few months at the club saw him make 12 Championship appearances, helping Villa win promotion back to the top flight.
Game time has been hard to come by in the Premier League, though, with the defender having appeared just 32 times in the league for Villa in the last three seasons.
Hause has also previously played in the Championship with Wolves.
The Verdict
It is a good thing to hear that Watford are continuing to hold discussions regarding Kortney Hause.
Although things are not advanced, you suspect they will be so once Samir's departure is officially confirmed.
The Hornets absolutely need to replace Samir at left-centre-back due to playing a back three, and Hause seems as though he would be an excellent fit given his age and previous Championship experience.
It will be interesting to see if the Hornets could bring him in on a loan deal with an option to buy, as they have done with Hamza Choudhury from Leicester, and reportedly Keinan Davis from Aston Villa themselves.