Bristol City manager Lee Johnson was considered by Watford for their vacant managerial post prior to the appointment of Quique Sanchez Flores, a report from the Bristol Post has claimed.

Watford announced on Saturday afternoon that they had sacked manager Javi Gracia after 19 months in the role, with Quique Sanchez Flores - who previously managed the Hornets in the 2015/16 season - confirmed as Gracia's replacement less than an hour later.

But despite the quick turnaround, it seems that the Hornets did consider their options before bringing Flores back to Vicarage Road.

According to the latest reports, Bristol City boss Johnson was seen as a potential candidate for the role with the Premier League side, although no approach was made to the Robins for the 38-year-old.

Johnson took over as manager at Ashton Gate in January 2016, having previously spent five years with the club as a player between 2006 and 2011, with the Robins boss only signing a new four-year deal with the club at end of last season.

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Bristol City currently sit fifth in the Championship, having won three and drawn two of their opening six league games of the season, and are next in action when they travel to the Bet365 Stadium to face Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

The Verdict

In a way, this may well still be a concern for Bristol City.

While they will no doubt be relieved that Watford ultimately decided not to move for Johnson, this should still give them something to think about.

With The Robins performing impressively in recent years, Johnson's stock was always going to rise, making this sort of Premier League interest inevitable.

If an offer does ultimately arise from the top tier for Johnson, then it may be hard for him to down, further increasing the pressure on the club to get themselves into the top tier sooner rather than later.