The Hornets have offered Sissoko the chance to return to the club after his contract at French club Nantes came to an end, according to a report from TuttoMercatoWeb.
Sissoko played for the Hornets for just one season after moving from Tottenham as they were relegated from the Premier League during the 2021/22 campaign.
He was sold to Nantes for £1 million in the summer of 2022 as Watford prepared for their first season back in the second tier, after he exercised an option in his contract that enabled him to leave if he found a new club.
Under his former teammate Tom Cleverley, who is hoping to assemble a team capable of contending at the top end of the Championship in his first full season in command, it now looks as though the 34-year-old is set to return to Watford.
The Hornets are in need of new signings in the middle of the pitch following the exit of Jake Livermore at the end of his contract, whilst Canada international Ismael Kone was sold to Marseille in a deal that could reach £15 million.
Cleverley will hope that he can reinvest some of the money received for Kone in his playing squad, with discussions set to be held this week on how the transfer fee should be spent.
Sissoko, in theory, would provide the experience and energy that will be missing after the departure of Livermore and Kone. The Hornets could really do with at least a couple of new midfielders during this transfer window to ensure they have enough options next season.
However, Watford supporter Justin Beattie of Football League World is not persuaded by Sissoko’s expected return and has advised the team to explore for other options.
“During his previous spell at Watford, Moussa Sissoko was uninspiring as both a player and a captain,” Justin stated to FLW.
“It’s probably reasonable to say that during the one season he had with us, not many supporters were disappointed when he was moved on.
It has taken us a little by surprise to see that he has been connected to us once more. It might seem weird, being offered a rumored two-year agreement at the age of 34, almost 35.
“Hopefully, he won’t be a regular starter for Watford, but rather an experienced backup midfielder.
“In my opinion, this is a bad signing. Instead of focusing on former players that weren’t all that terrific for us the first time around, I believe we should be looking at fresh, eager players.”
Watford must strengthen significantly in order to climb Championship table
This is an important transfer window for the Hornets, as they prepare for their third season in the Championship since relegation from the Premier League in 2022.
If Cleverley is backed this summer, there could be a sense of quiet optimism next season, but if the Hornets do not replace Kone and lose any of their other key players, then it could be another difficult season.
Even though Sissoko did play pretty regularly for Nantes in Ligue 1 last season, Watford supporters will hope that he is being brought in to pass on his expertise to younger midfielders rather than being a significant player in the Championship next season, as Justin hinted to.
Though Watford has made good money off of some of its top players over the past two seasons, Cleverley will need to spend some money to assemble a team that can contend for the play-off spots.
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