“Somewhat of a surprise” – Watford linked with move for Premier League striker: The verdict

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict‘ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Watford are eyeing a move for Southampton striker Adam Armstrong this summer, it was reported over the weekend.

As per The Sun, the Hornets want to take the 25-year-old on a loan deal this summer.

Middlesbrough are also said to be keen, with the report stating that both have a job on their hands in order to convince Armstrong to drop back down to the second-tier.

The striker joined Southampton last summer, but experienced a difficult debut campaign at the club, scoring two goals in 28 appearances.

With the above in mind, we asked some of our writers here at FLW for their thoughts on the news, and whether or not Watford could convince Armstrong to return to the Championship temporarily.

Having worked extremely hard to get back into a position to play in the Premier League again, it would be somewhat of a surprise if Armstrong opts to swap Southampton for Watford this summer.

Although the forward struggled with his consistency at this level last season, he still managed to show glimpses of promise as he provided five direct goal contributions.

Unless he is deemed to be surplus to requirements, Armstrong will be determined to take his game to new heights in a Southampton shirt next season.

For Watford’s sake, they may find it beneficial to draft up a list of alternative options to Armstrong as there is no guarantee that he will be open to a move to Vicarage Road.

I think a lot will depend on the kind of business that Southampton engage in this summer, with it being unlikely that a deal is agreed upon soon.

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