Italian star REJECTED Liverpool to join Championship club in January: ‘He hardly listened to other options’ | OneFootball

Edoardo Bove had the chance to play for Liverpool manager Arne Slot or under David Moyes at Everton before he joined Watford in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Bove has moved to Watford on a free transfer after the midfielder’s contract at AS Roma was mutually terminated. The 23-year-old has put pen to paper on a five-and-a-half year contract with the Hornets, who are aiming to end up in the Championship playoffs this season.

According to The Watford Observer, Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton tried to sign Bove before he switched to Watford.

The in-depth report has revealed how Watford secured the services of the midfielder, considered as ‘a real coup’ by the Championship club.

Bove, who has been fitted with a cardiac defibrillator following his cardiac arrest while playing for Fiorentina (on loan from AS Roma) against Inter Milan on December 1, 2024, is unable to continue his footballing career in Italy.

That is because footballers in Italy are barred from playing with a defibrillator.

Watford did their work on convincing Bove to play for them and made sure that he was medically fit.

By November, Watford felt that there was ‘a very realistic chance’ of the midfielder switching to Vicarage Road, but Liverpool subsequently ‘approached’ him, and so did Bournemouth and Brentford.

Everton, too, made a plan for Bove, who had a lucrative offer from Major League Soccer club CF Montreal, too.

However, Bove turned down the chance to join Liverpool or any other club because, according to the report, he had already ‘given Watford his word’.

The Watford Observer noted about Bove that ‘he hardly listened to other options’, with the report adding that the Italian midfielder ‘has become invested in Watford’s fortunes, familiarising himself with the squad and calling club chiefs after wins to congratulate them and ask for details about the match’.

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Watford delighted with Edoardo Bove capture

Following Watford sealing the deal for Bove, the Championship club’s Assistant to the Sporting Director, Valon Behrami, raved about him.

Behrami told Watford’s official website: “We are delighted Edoardo has chosen us over many options he had.

“This is testament to the relationship we have built with him, the reputation of the club and the ambition of the owner.

“Edoardo is a top, proven talent and he is here to help us fulfil the objective of the owner which is to challenge for a return to the Premier League.”

Bove said: “I would like to thank the entire Watford family for the warm welcome I have received. From day one, they have given me the best possible conditions to take this important step in my career.

“I have been eager to get back on the pitch, and doing so with a historic club like Watford fills me with immense pride.

“I am excited to train with my new teammates and to play, and I cannot wait to show my gratitude for the trust that has been placed in me.”

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