Watford takeover claim made as John Textor registers interest - 'It remains to be seen' | OneFootball

FLW's Watford fan pundit questions whether John Textor would be the man to take the club forward

John Textor is reportedly looking to add another English club to his Eagle Football Group, after he sold his shares in Crystal Palace earlier this year.

Alongside a £400 million bid lodged to buy Premier League basement club Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Athletic have stated that the American businessman also has eyes on a number of Championship clubs, with Watford being one of the names brought up.

Gino Pozzo recently passed 13 years as the Watford owner, and despite six years of his reign being spent in the Premier League and getting to the final of the FA Cup, the Hornets aren't the most marketable they've been for a while, looking a little lost in the midtable of the Championship.

Nevertheless, John Textor has been rumoured to be interested in Watford for close to a year now, so it would make sense that, if a second-tier side was his aim, the Hornets may be a suitable option.

Justin Beattie, FLW's Watford fan pundit, believes that Gino Pozzo may try and get the club back in the top flight first, though, to maximise the money he can get when he does eventually part ways.

Watford fan pundit reacts to John Textor, takeover rumours

Beattie acknowledged that this isn't the first time Textor has been rumoured to be looking at taking over Watford, after it surfaced last November that the former Palace owner was set to line up a bid.

Those reports died down pretty quickly, so the fan pundit isn't placing his bets too quickly, here.

"The rumours surrounding John Textor taking over Watford surfaced last year," he explained.

"There were stories last year linking us to him, and the stories evaporated as quickly as they surfaced."

Beattie would welcome the idea of a fresh face in the boardroom at Vicarage Road. The current ownership has come under fire recently for their erratic decision-making when it comes to managerial changes, as 21 head coaches have come and gone since 2012.

Recently, this hasn't translated into much success on the field, either, as the Hornets have finished between 11th and 15th for three consecutive Championship campaigns.

"It's no secret that Gino Pozzo may be interested in selling the club, but he'd like to see us back in the Premier League to make the deal more attractive, and some of the prices he's setting at the moment seem a bit unrealistic in terms of the club's value," he said.

"So whilst I think we would welcome a takeover at Watford, whether John Textor is the answer would remain to be seen."

Right now, Gino Pozzo looks focused on getting Watford back into the Premier League, after he ended his family's 39-year connection with Italian side Udinese in May.

The sale allowed him to pay more attention to the Vicarage Road outfit, who are once again currently sitting comfortably in 14th, with no sense of consistency to see them challenge near the top six.

Perhaps if the club does secure a third promotion to the Premier League under Pozzo's leadership, the Hornets' owner may look to sell on, but for now, that promotion doesn't look likely.

So, unless John Textor comes in with an offer which the Italian simply cannot refuse, all signs are pointing to Pozzo remaining Watford owner for the time being.