Watford FC transfer chances fading as Porto enter race for striker | OneFootball

Watford's chances of signing Neyser Villarreal are looking slim.

Reports suggest that Championship side Watford are fighting a losing battle to secure the signature of 19-year-old attacker Neyser Villarreal, with Porto emerging as strong contenders for his services.

That's according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, who reported on Sunday morning that the Hornets are sitting as spectators in the unfolding race for the teenager's signature.

The striker has been seriously impressive for the Colombian under-20's side, which has captured the attention of plenty of clubs in Europe, one of which being Watford. However, it seems that the highly-rated prospect could be headed to Portuguese powerhouses Porto instead.

Villarreal is out of contract at Millionarios in November 2025, which means he could be poached for free should his deal expire. Despite this, a move to Vicarage Road looks highly unlikely at this stage.

Watford unlikely to seal deal for Neysar Villarreal after Porto promise emerges

The latest update from Nixon has revealed that the Championship outfit are now unlikely to strike a deal for Villarreal's services, as the player's agent has 'promised' Portuguese giants Porto the striker, meaning he could make the move to Portugal for nothing if his deal expires later on in the year.

The former European champions have reportedly set up a deal to bring the wonderkid to the Estádio do Dragão, as his performances on the international stage have been rather eye-catching.

To further hinder Watford's chances, Nixon also said that Brazilian club Vasco da Gama made a bid of around £3m plus add-ons, which was accepted by Millonarios. However, the player and his agent refused to speak to the club, which meant no deal was struck.

With his heart seemingly set on a move to the second-largest city in Portugal, Nixon concluded by saying that Watford are now merely spectators in the race to sign the Colombian. The Hornets must now look elsewhere to bolster their frontline, as Villarreal seems set for Porto.

Watford set to be left disappointed after leading the race for Neyser Villarreal

Merely a week ago, reports suggested that Watford were leading the race to sign Villarreal, but Sunday's update will be a disappointing one for supporters to learn.

Both Vasco da Gama and Palmeiras were also in the race, but it was confirmed on Sunday that the Colombian has no interest in making the move to Brazil, following his refusal to speak to the former.

The Hornets weren't the only English club interested either, as initial reports suggested both Liverpool and Newcastle United were monitoring Villarreal's situation.

It seems like there is new information emerging every day in this unfolding tale, but with Porto now in the driving seat to sign Villarreal after his breakout tournament in the South American Under-20s Championship, it seems the race for the teenager could be all-but-over.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the course of the next few weeks, but it looks to be bad news for Watford. With his heart set on a move to Porto, Sunday's update will come as a bitterly disappointing setback for Hornets supporters, as the club once reportedly led the race to sign Villarreal.