Cleverley is looking to reconcile with a former Manchester United teammate at Vicarage Road, with Warren Joyce on his radar.
Following a promising interim tenure, the Hornets chose to give Cleverley a permanent contract, with the former midfielder ready to lead them into the 2024/25 season.
High managerial turnover in recent years has probably helped to his appointment at Vicarage Road, with the Pozzo family betting on the untested coach, but he may suffer the same fate if he does not have a successful campaign next season.
Cleverley has a lot on his plate this summer as manager of the Hornets.
Not only does he need to determine who he wants to hire, who he wants to sell, release, and offer new contracts to, but he also needs to finalise his backroom team and ensure he has the greatest possible team to support him during his first job as senior manager.
He appears to be looking for an experienced coach to join him in Hertfordshire.
Alan Nixon believes Joyce is currently on Cleverley’s radar, although it may require a compensation money given the former’s existing deal with the club.
Joyce is now Nottingham Forest’s U21 manager, although he may be persuaded to transfer to a senior position and relocate to Vicarage Road.
The two are expected to know each other from their time at Manchester United, where Joyce worked in the academy and Cleverley played.
Despite failing to impress as Wigan Athletic’s manager during the 2016/17 season, Joyce was very successful at an academy level at Old Trafford, and the Hornets’ current manager appears eager to bring him in.
Plenty of clubs in the EFL are keen to recruit young players now, not just on loan, but permanently too so they can sell these youngsters on for a healthy profit in the future.
Joyce has plenty of experience working with younger players – and could be a great addition to the backroom team because of this.
Some of those young players who could develop under Joyce include Ryan Andrews and Yaser Asprilla, two players who have a huge amount of potential but need to be coached well if they are to continue developing.
If Asprilla and Andrews stay and develop well, they might be sold for a lot of money in the future, especially as both are already in the Hertfordshire first team.
Ismael Kone, another young player, could benefit from Joyce’s experience.
The former United coach is also an experienced manager, and he might be just what Cleverley needs in the early stages of his tenure at Vicarage Road.
Joyce might perhaps serve as another assistant manager with Damon Lathrope, who has permanently joined the men’s team.
It would be difficult to imagine him not taking on a significant role.
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