Watford Opinion: Gracia should make a move for Rogério

Given the squad he has at his disposal, Watford manager Javi Gracia has pulled off an incredible miracle to get the team to where they are. At the moment, the Hornets are fighting for a place in the Europa league next season, and sit in eighth place.

The loss to Manchester City at the weekend saw them drop points and remain behind Wolves in the race for the top seven spot. But no matter what happens come the end of the season, the Hornets need reinforcements next summer.

The state of their team hasn’t helped anyone this season and it certainly won’t do them any favours next season. Their back-line has 5 out of 11 players over the age of thirty, which includes left-back Jose Holebas and centre-back Miguel Britos.

Watford needs youthful exuberance, especially in the full-back department and that’s exactly why they should target Serie A star Rogério. Currently contracted to Juventus, the 21-year-old is on loan at Sassuolo, where he has impressed over the last eighteen months.

He initially caught the eye while playing in the U17 World Cup a little over four years ago where he played in a wide variety of positions.

However, since moving to Sassuolo, the 21-year-old has primarily played as a left-back or left wing-back. For Watford, that’s one of the many reasons why they should make a move for Rogério in the summer.

At the moment, their left-backs are Adam Masina and Jose Holebas, with the latter on the wrong side of thirty.

That’s caused Watford a few problems, but it’s nothing that Rogério’s presence wouldn’t fix. The 21-year-old’s sheer pace and movement make him a menace going forward and as a player who has played as a winger before, Rogério also has a great cross.

His defensive awareness and positioning are beyond exceptional, with him growing leaps and bounds at Sassuolo. Rogério has averaged 1.5 tackles, 0.8 interceptions, 2.5 clearances per game and more importantly, he been dribbled past at a rate of just 0.8 per game.

This further emphasises just how solid a defender he is and that suits Javi Gracia’s style of play. The former Malaga manager likes an athletic full-back who puts in the hard yards both defensively and offensively.

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Conclusion

While Adam Masina has done a relatively decent job since arriving from Bologna in the summer, Watford needs competition. Adding someone as good as Rogério will help and it’s a move that has to happen.

The two year loan spell at Sassuolo has proven to be a catalyst for his development and moving to a better league, will certainly see Rogério improve even further. It’s a move that Watford need to make and one that will help them in the near future.