Southampton And West Ham To Miss Out On Midfield Target As Deal Agreed | OneFootball

Matt McNulty/Getty Images

Panathinaikos have moved into pole position to sign Southampton and West Ham United target Imran Louza, who is now due in Athens today.

The midfielder made the move to Watford from Nantes in 2021, signing a five-year deal after the Hornets secured promotion to the Premier League.

Since arriving at Vicarage Road, Louza has made more than 140 appearances for the club, scoring 15 goals in the process.

Enjoying this story?

Add Inside Futbol as a preferred source on Google.

The Moroccan midfielder enjoyed a standout campaign last season, making more appearances than any other Watford player as he featured 44 times in all competitions, registering seven goals and ten assists.

Louza’s form at Vicarage Road has not gone unnoticed, with Championship pair West Ham and Southampton both keen to secure his services before the transfer window closes.

Earlier this month, Serie A side Como and Ligue 1 side Paris FC also joined the race for the Watford midfielder, further highlighting the demand for the 27-year-old.

It does not appear that Louza will be playing at either the London Stadium or St Mary’s this season though, or even in France or Italy, with a surprise move to Greece now on the cards for the midfielder.

According to Greek journalist Giannis Chorianopoulos, Panathinaikos now have an agreement in place with Watford to sign Louza.

The midfielder is due in Athens today as he moves towards completing the switch to the Greek Super League side.

There is no clarity on the terms of the deal, but Southampton and West Ham are missing out on a midfielder with real Championship know-how.

Saints came close to winning promotion last term but were derailed by the spygate saga, while at the Hammers, the expectation is clearly for Nuno Espirito Santo to deliver promotion.

The quality Louza brings to the pitch is well known amongst managers in the Championship.