Watford and Bournemouth are in a late battle to secure a move for Burnley forward Matej Vydra, with the Clarets potentially willing to cash in for the right price as they pursue their own targets, per The Sun.
Vydra’s long-term future at Turf Moor has been the subject of speculation throughout the winter window, despite Burnley having recently activated a one-year option on his contract. The forward has been linked with a potential return to Watford, where he won the Championship’s Player of the Year award back in the 2014/15 season.
Burnley meanwhile have been interested in making a potential move for Bournemouth’s Josh King. However, Jason Tindall has recently confirmed he will be staying with the Cherries until the end of the campaign at least.
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It is thought that both clubs remain keen on Vydra as they look to bolster their promotion prospects, with Burnley willing to sell if their valuation of him is met. While it has also been reported that the Premier League club have turned down offers involving swap deals for him as they pursue their own transfer targets, per The Sun.
The verdict
The prospect of either Watford or Bournemouth landing Vydra seems to rest on whether the Clarets are successful in bringing in their own targets in the remaining time left in the window. The forward has been involved in the last few weeks and came off the bench in their 3-2 win against Aston Villa in midweek for his 11th league appearance of the campaign (Sofascore).
A return to Watford would make sense, considering that the Hornets have lacked a goal threat at times this season especially on their travels. The forward is a popular figure amongst supporters from his previous spell with the club, but it remains to be seen whether they could afford the sort of fee Burnley would demand for him.
That is a similar issue for Bournemouth, who if anything are thought to be needing to trim their wage bill especially if they fail to secure promotion. Therefore, it looks like it might be difficult for them to sort out any potential deal for Vydra in the time remaining before Monday’s deadline.