Watford FC plot move to sign £20k-a-week AFC Bournemouth player | OneFootball

Julio Soler is reportedly of interest to the Hornets

Watford FC are reportedly plotting a loan swoop for Bournemouth's Argentinian youth international defender, Julio Soler.

It has been widely reported that the Hornets have turned to the 21-year-old as a potential option to fill a vacant loan spot within Javi Gracia's squad amid claims that Caleb Wiley's own temporary switch from fellow Premier League side, Chelsea, was cut short at the beginning of the current winter transfer window.

The Hornets have put themselves in an extremely strong position to potentially secure a play-off spot for the first time since they were relegated back to the Championship in the summer of 2022.

After an inconsistent opening to the campaign which saw the Pozzo family, once again, pull the plug on a managerial project with the Uruguayan Paulo Pezzolano, Gracia has since been able to transform the immediate fortunes of the Hertfordshire side, who he famously took to the FA Cup final in the spring of 2019 during his first spell at Vicarage Road.

The Yellows have forced their way into the top six places in the second tier after a run of four successive victories. However, they were denied the chance to build further momentum after Tom Ince's hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Birmingham City on New Year's Day, when their crucial clash with fellow play-off hopefuls, Hull City, at the MKM Stadium on Sunday afternoon was postponed less than 20 minutes before kick-off due to player safety concerns.

Such developments being followed by the news that the impressive Wiley is set to return to Stamford Bridge as a result of injury, had somewhat dampened the mood at Vicarage Road despite a largely positive few weeks over Christmas and the New Year.

However, it now appears that Gracia is wasting as little time as possible when it comes to sourcing a replacement for the American.

Watford FC plot loan swoop for AFC Bournemouth defender Julio Soler amid Caleb Wiley developments

In the summer transfer window, the Hornets made 11 signings under the management of Pezzolano, which included a move for Marc Bola on a free transfer following his departure from Turkish side, Samsunspor.

The aforementioned Wiley, of course, was initially acquired on a loan basis from Chelsea under Tom Cleverley last season, joining on Deadline Day in February 2025 before returning to Watford on July 22nd despite a change of head coach.

The defender then continued his impressive and upward trajectory under Pezzolano in the early weeks of the season. However, he has only made five appearances for the Hornets this term - only three of which have been starts - due to an injury issue sustained in the Autumn.

Indeed, he has only featured once under Gracia's management, which came in the first game of his second spell in charge of the Hertfordshire club, the 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on October 18th.

Having missed the last two-and-a-half months due to injury, it has been reported that his second loan spell with the Hornets has already been concluded, with Watford now on the lookout for a replacement for the remainder of the campaign.

As such, it was first claimed by high-profile reporter and transfer guru, Fabrizio Romano, that Bournemouth's young full-back, Soler, is a name who features high up on the club's shortlist.

Soler has been on the Cherries' books for the past 12 months himself, having signed for the Premier League side on a long-term contract from Lanus for a reported £6.6m fee.

The defender has made just nine appearances for the South Coast side so far though, yet has been capped five times by Argentina at senior level, as well as captaining his country's Under-20s side on several occasions.

Soler's last outing under Andoni Iraola came in the 4-1 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on December 27th, in what was also his first Premier League start of the season.

Given Watford's recent transfer policy of recruiting young talents on either a permanent or temporary basis, this is a short-term move which can benefit all parties.

Soler is clearly a player with a high ceiling, proven by his numbers and reputation on the international stage at such a young age, although he would hope this eventually translates into regular minutes at club level, which hasn't quite happened in Dorset.

As such, the chance to help Watford potentially regain their Premier League status under a manager of Gracia's pedigree is an exciting opportunity, whilst, from a financial standpoint, an ESTIMATED weekly wage of £20,000 per week may also not have to be fully covered by the Hornets.