Watford closing in on sealing permanent deal for 31-year-old defender | OneFootball

Watford are closing in on sealing a permanent deal for Villarreal defender Mario Gaspar, according to The Athletic journalist Adam Leventhal.

It is understood that Gaspar has agreed to terminate his deal with the Spanish outfit in order to pave a way to join the Hornets on a free transfer.

The 31-year-old’s contract at the Estadio de la Ceramica was set to expire next year.

Currently undergoing a medical, Gaspar is set to sign a two-year deal at Vicarage Road.

As part of this agreement, Kiko Femenia will move to Villarreal for a fee believed to be in excess of €1m (£848k).

Femenia has travelled to Spain to finalise this particular switch.

A product of Villarreal’s youth academy, Gaspar has spent his entire career with the La Liga outfit.

During the previous campaign, the right-back was limited to just 17 appearances in all competitions due to the presence of Serge Aurier and Juan Foyth.

Providing that a move is completed in the coming days, Gaspar could potentially make his debut for Watford in their showdown with Sheffield United on August 1st.

The Hornets have already bolstered their squad ahead of this fixture by signing Ben Hamer, Vakoun Bayo and Rey Manaj.

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In what year was Graham Taylor first appointed as Watford boss?

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The Verdict

This could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business by Watford as Gaspar has shown in his career that he is capable of delivering the goods at the highest level in Spain.

Since making his senior bow, the right-back has featured on 307 occasions in La Liga whilst he has also represented Villarreal in the Europa League and the Champions League.

Although it may take Gaspar some time to adapt to life in the Championship, there is no reason why cannot eventually become a key player for Watford.

Gaspar’s arrival may also force fellow right-back Jeremie Ngakia to step up his performance levels.

By maintaining his fitness as well as his consistency, the Spaniard could potentially help the Hornets launch a push for promotion.