Newly-promoted PL club hold talks with Hibernian over £4m deal for teenage prospect

Watford hold talks with Hibernian for Josh Doig

According to the Watford Observer, newly-promoted Premier League club Watford have begun talks with Scottish club Hibernian FC for the transfer of teenage left-back Josh Doig.

Doig started out at the academy of Heart of Midlothian FC before making the switch to cross-town rivals Hibernian in the summer of 2019. Having spent the first six months with the reserves, the 18-year-old was loaned out to Queen’s Park for the second half of the 2019/20 campaign.

Having returned at the end of the season, Doig has been successfully integrated into the Hibs first-team set-up in the ongoing season. Indeed, the teenage left-back has made 34 appearances across all competitions for the Edinburgh-based club this term, chipping in with a solitary goal and four assists. (h/t Transfermarkt)

Doig’s rise to prominence in Scotland has caught the eye of a number of clubs in down south in England, with faltering Premier League giants Arsenal said to be interested in the left-back. And now, Watford, who recently won automatic promotion to the Premier League, have also set their sights on the teenage Scotsman. (h/t Watford Observer)

Watford enjoyed a fine 2020/21 campaign, finishing second in the EFL Championship to make a swift return to the top-flight after having been relegated at the end of the 2019/20 season.

And as they gear up for a return to the big leagues, manager Xisco sees left-back as an area he needs to strenghten given that Adam Masina is the only natural option in the position.

To that end, the Hornets have identified Doig as an option to bolster their ranks and have already held talks with Hibernian over a transfer. The 18-year-old signed a new contract with the Hibs in February earlier this year, extending his stay until 2025.

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Despite that, a sale is looking like a solid possibility, as things stand. However, the two clubs are yet to agree on a transfer fee, although discussions have taken place over a valuation around the £4m mark.