Watford, Moussa Sissoko transfer reunion could be a stroke of genius from Tom Cleverley - View | OneFootball

The Hornets look to be closing in on the return of Moussa Sissoko, and despite his age, there could be a lot of benefits about the Frenchman in 2024

Watford head coach Tom Cleverley is preparing for his first full season in the dugout at Vicarage Road.

Cleverley was named as the Hornets' permanent boss this summer after taking on the role in an interim capacity in March after the sacking of Valerien Ismael.

He enjoyed a reasonable start to life on the sideline, although he will be looking to make a vast improvement on Watford's 15th place finish in the Championship next season.

The 34-year-old has already made a couple of new additions so far this summer, with Rocco Vata joining from Celtic and Jonathan Bond returning to the club on a free transfer. Malian teenage striker Mamadou Doumbia also arrived at Vicarage Road after a pre-contract agreement was made back in February.

The Hertfordshire outfit will need to strengthen their squad further if they are going to compete at the top end of the Championship next season, especially considering rumours that other key players could depart during the current transfer window.

Watford set to bring Moussa Sissoko back to Vicarage Road

Watford, though, could be set to sign their former midfielder Moussa Sissoko, who left the Hornets to join French club FC Nantes two years ago, as reported by TuttoMercatoWeb, with The Athletic following up on Monday that he was set to undergo a medical.

Watford have offered the 34-year-old an opportunity to return to Vicarage Road and help the club push on in the second tier next season, with the experience of Jake Livermore being lost over the summer.

The last time Sissoko pulled on a Watford shirt, the Hornets were playing Premier League football and the midfielder was making what everybody thought was going to be his final appearance for the club.

Now, it appears as though he could make a return this summer.

Moussa Sissoko could be suited with the step down to the Championship

While some fans may be wondering whether bringing Sissoko back to the club would be the right decision, he should be able to impress on a far more regular basis for Watford next season than he did in the Premier League.

The midfielder has spent the last two seasons playing in Ligue 1, and has never played outside the top divisions in France and England throughout his career.

Despite being in the latter stages of his career, Sissoko definitely has the physical attributes to do well in the Championship.

His strength, directness and ball-winning ability should make him more effective in the second tier, while his technical quality should also shine through in a lower division.

He will be able to pass on his knowledge and experience to younger players in the Watford squad, and if he can also contribute on the pitch, he should turn out to be a good low-risk signing for Cleverley.

The Hornets need to strengthen their midfield department ahead of another competitive season in the Championship, having seen Jake Livermore depart Vicarage Road this summer at the end of his contract.

Watford have also sold Ismael Kone to Marseille in a deal that could reach £15m, and Cleverley is set to have a discussion about how to spend the money at the training ground this week.

While the head coach will no doubt want to reinvest some of Kone's transfer fee into the playing squad, signing Sissoko on a free transfer could be an excellent piece of business still.

Not only will the former France international add the much-needed experience that is required following Livermore's departure, he will also provide some energy and quality in the middle of the pitch that will be missing after the sale of Kone.

Watford set for important summer following Moussa Sissoko deal

Watford will be optimistic that they can build a far more competitive squad than they managed to assemble last season, especially if Cleverley is able to spend some of the money that the club has received in transfer fees.

Last summer, the Hornets sold Ismaila Sarr to Marseille, Joao Pedro to Brighton & Hove Albion and Christian Kabasele to Udinese, before only spending a fraction of the money they received on new signings.

Now that they have made further sales this summer, and considering their disappointing performance during the last campaign, they will surely show some more ambition in the transfer window this time around.

The potential signing of Sissoko would be a solid addition for the Hornets, and could turn out to be a masterstroke, especially if he hits the ground running in the Championship and Watford add further quality to their squad as well.