Leicester City are on the verge of signing Yaser Asprilla from Watford, according to reports.

The Colombian forward arrived at Watford from Envigado — the same club that produced Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran — in the summer of 2022 and particularly caught the eye last season, with six goals and seven assists in 44 Championship appearances.

Asprilla — who already has two goals in six caps for his country at just 20 years old — has entered the final year of his contract.

Given his form in the second tier last season, coupled with his exploits for Colombia so far and young age, it’s unsurprising to see a number of clubs making an approach for Asprilla this summer.

French side Rennes are thought to have made an approach for Asprilla but, according to Foot Mercato journalist Sebastien Denis, it’s Leicester City who have won the race for his signature.

?#Srfc ???
??malgré une approche concrète du Stade Rennais pour le jeune ailier colombien de Watford Yasser Asprilla, le joueur est en route pour Leicester
??son agent est en Angleterre pour négocier un deal qui pourrait atteindre les 25 M€ pic.twitter.com/2QBPU5tj1m

— Sébastien Denis (@sebnonda) August 3, 2024

Asprilla on the verge of Leicester City move

Denis’ report states that Asprilla is ‘on his way’ to Leicester, with the player’s agent already in England negotiating a deal which could reach €25m (£21.3m).

Leicester’s hunt for attacking reinforcements ahead of their return to the Premier League has been no secret this summer. The 2023/24 Championship winners lost out in the race for Argentine talent Matias Soule, who opted to swap Juventus for Roma.

A left-footed winger who operates from the right, Asprilla would compete with new arrivals Issahaku Fatawu and Bobby De Cordova-Reid for a starting berth in Steve Cooper’s side should he seal his King Power Stadium switch.

The post Leicester City closing on £21m transfer of South American winger appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur wants to help Uruguay end its Copa America tournament on a positive note as they face Canada in the third-place match.

However, Canada responded with a goal of their own in the 22nd minute as former Watford and now current Olympique de Marseille standout Ismaël Koné scored an impressive bicycle kick-style goal off a corner kick set piece.

After giving up the first goal of the match, the Canadians aren’t going down without a fight as they look to secure third place in this tournament.

pic.twitter.com/O8oUieTb4K

— starsballsvb (@starsballsvb) July 14, 2024

The post Video: Ex-Watford star stuns with spectacular bicycle kick-style goal for Canada against Uruguay appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Watford standout Ismaël Koné has sent Canada into the semifinal of the 2024 Copa America. After the Canadians took the 1-0 lead in the first half, Venezuela responded in the second half to level the scoring 1-1.

Neither team could find the game-winning goal in the remaining time, so the matchup went to a penalty kick shootout. Venezuela missed three shots, while Canada failed twice. As a result, Koné had the chance to win it for Canada, and the current Marseille player scored; now Jesse Marsch and his team will get a second crack at facing Argentina.

??? CANADA ARE THROUGH TO THE SEMI-FINALS OF THE COPA AMERICA!pic.twitter.com/NNi4DEbugV

— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) July 6, 2024

The post Video: Ex-Watford star propels Canada to Copa America semifinals with decisive penalty shootout goal appeared first on CaughtOffside.

It was only two seasons ago that Watford were in the Premier League but as we’ve seen time and again, things can change very quickly in football.

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The Hornets had enjoyed a number of seasons in the English top-flight over the past decade, but since being relegated to the Championship, things have gone backwards for the club.

Watford want Anthony Joshua to invest

Last season Watford finished in 15th place with 61 goals scored and 61 conceded. They were a mammoth 17 points from getting into the Play-Offs, and just six points from being relegated into the third tier of English football.

Given that their form towards the end of the campaign was amongst the worst of all the teams in the division, had it gone on much longer, there could’ve been a very real threat of them going down.

However, they live to fight another day in the Championship but it’s clear that things have to change.

To that end, according to The Athletic (subscription required), the club have approached Watford native, Anthony Joshua, regarding investing in the club.

As Goal also note, Watford is the club that the heavyweight boxer supports, so this is a move that will tug at the heart strings.

Whether any talks, which are described as being still at the early stages, will progress to anything more serious will only be seen over the course of the next few weeks.

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The boxer might do well listening to Elton John to understand what he would be getting in return for ploughing his hard-earned into the club.

If Watford are unable to persuade him or anyone else to put a significant chunk of money in, however, then that doesn’t bode well for their immediate future.

The post Watford set for heavyweight investment into club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Watford manager Tom Cleverley was left furious after his side conceded a 99th minute winner against Southamton. 

The Saints lost a 2 goal lead but ended up winning late in stoppage time. However, Watford felt robbed due to a couple of controversial decisions including the game being allowed to play 2 minutes more than the 7 minutes time initially added.

Downes appeared to handle the ball before poking home the winner, two minutes after the minimum seven minutes added-time had been played.

Cleverley also claimed that a red card should also have been awarded to Sekou Mara for a clash with Ryan Porteous, but the Hornets boss was most concerned by the late winner.

He believed that the poor officiating is unfair to those fighting for the direct promotion, as it could cost them potential millions.

Cleverley said (quotes via YEP):

“That (late goal) is the biggest source of my frustration. The red card incident on Ryan Porteous was a genuine mistake. The fact that the corner gets delivered in the 98th minute after seven were added on is a worry.”

“It’s not affected the way our campaign ends so much. But when there are hundreds of millions of pounds on the line for Leeds, Ipswich and Leicester, I think they could argue that the top referees should be in charge of these games.”

“I will never, ever have a go for genuine mistakes. I’m disappointed the corner was taken. I am struggling to see how we’ve led to that after the 98th minute. The whole thing should never happen and I think this is where you need someone strong for sure in the game.”

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The win has pulled Southampton to within six points of Leeds, and victory in both of their games in hand would see them pull level.

Martin’s side can actually close the gap this week with two fixtures against Preston and Cardiff City coming before the Whites go to Middlesbrough on Monday evening.

Daniel Farke’s side are a point off Leicester in second, having played a game more, while Ipswich’s 0-0 draw at home to ‘Boro saw them pull two clear of Leeds at the top of the table with three games remaining.

The post Watford manager slams decision that could cost Leeds hundreds of millions appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Watford have parted ways with manager Valerien Ismael following their defeat to Coventry City yesterday, with Coventry rallying from a goal down to secure a 2-1 victory.

Ismael’s tenure this season saw Watford secure 11 wins, 12 draws, and suffer 14 defeats, leaving them just six points above the relegation zone.

The disappointing result against Coventry prompted the club’s board to make the decision for a change.

In an official statement, Watford expressed gratitude to Ismael and his staff for their dedication and commitment but stated that the board believes it is the right time for a managerial change to improve results.

The club statement read (via Sky Sports) :

“The Hornets thank Valerien and his staff for their dedication and commitment, however the club’s board considers it an appropriate time to make a change in order to improve results.”

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To fill the managerial void, Watford have appointed former Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley as the interim manager.

The 34-year-old spent a significant portion of his career at Watford.

Initially joining the club on various loan spells, Cleverley completed a permanent move in 2017, making 181 appearances, scoring 19 goals, and providing 15 assists.

Cleverley’s appointment marks Watford’s 21st managerial change since the Pozzo family took control of the club in 2012, highlighting the ownership’s reputation for being ruthless.

Watford’s next fixture is an away trip to Birmingham next Saturday.

The post English club sacks manager after latest defeat – Tom Cleverley appointed interim manager appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Dean Austin from Coventry City was caught scouting the club’s next opponent Watford when they were in action against Swansea City earlier.

It appears that a Watford fan zeroed in on his private WhatsApp messages and published the images on social media.

The messages showed conversations between Austin, Mark Robins and agent Rob Segal. According to reports, Dean Austin is now considering legal action against the Watford fan who chose to breach his privacy by posting his WhatsApp images on social media.

Meanwhile, the messages showed Austin discussing Watford’s disappointing performance with Robins and Segal. Austin also discussed the future of manager Valérien Ismael.

Coventry have been captured scouting Watford.

Mark Robins, Coventry’s manager, messaged loads of times in the game vs Swansea today.

Damn this is brutal for Watford… ? pic.twitter.com/iu1QurHhPx

— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) March 6, 2024

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Ismael faces an uncertain future at the club after a series of disappointing performances from his side and it will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly in the coming months.

Watford are currently 13th in the league table and they could easily be dragged into the relegation dogfight if they continue to falter.

Watford ended the game with a score line of 1-1 after trailing in the first half. They did well to bounce back in the second half and draw level. It remains to be seen whether they can grind out some positive results in the coming weeks.

The post Coventry City official’s WhatsApp chat leaked during Watford scouting mission appeared first on CaughtOffside.

The FA Cup fifth-round draw has taken place with some big ties emerging in the next round of football’s oldest competition. 

The story of the fourth round was undoubtedly semi-professional football club Maidstone United defeating Championship side Ipswich Town 2-1 and the cup underdogs would have been hoping for a huge club to play in the next chapter of their story. They will travel to either Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry next which should be a good day out for their fans.

Tickets for the Carabao Cup Final can be Bought Here!

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The biggest tie saw Man City defeat Tottenham on Friday night and the defending champions will play Luton Town in the next round.

The biggest draw could possibly be Wrexham vs Newcastle if the League Two side can get passed Blackburn Rovers on Monday night. With the Hollywood story potentially writing an incredible chapter by knocking out the Premier League big boys.

FA Cup fifth-round draw in full:

Blackburn Rovers/Wrexham vs Newcastle

Chelsea/Aston Villa vs Leeds/Plymouth Argyle

Bournemouth vs Leicester City

Liverpool/Norwich vs Watford/Southampton

Bristol City/Nottingham Forest vs Newport/Man United

Wolves vs Brighton

Sheffield Wednesday/Coventry vs Maidstone United

Luton Town vs Man City

The draw has been made for the #EmiratesFACup fifth round proper ?

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 28, 2024

The post FA Cup fifth-round draw: champions Man City get Premier League opposition appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Current Watford owner Gino Pozzo is subject to an investigation for alleged financial crimes with the Spanish prosecutor’s office reportedly asking for a 12-year sentence.

The Italian businessman is reportedly under investigation for alleged financial crimes that he committed during his time as owner of the Spanish club, Granada.

The La Liga club were under the ownership of the Pozzo family between the years 2009 to 2015 with the investigation circulating around the transfer of players according to the Iberian newspaper, El Pais.

The report claims via Eurosport, that Pozzo along with Granada’s president at the time, Quique Pina, profited off the ‘illicit movement of money linked to player transfers,’ in a ‘large-scale criminal plan’.

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According to the report, the prosecutor’s office claimed that ‘through the execution of a complex strategy, would have allowed the club to artificially transfer the earnings obtained through the transfer of professional footballers to Luxembourg and not to pay them in Spain, thus obtaining a significant economic profit at the expense of the Treasury”.

El Pais claims that four defendants are set for trial with the Spanish prosecutor’s office asking for Pozzo to receive a 36.5 million euro fine along with a 12-year prison sentence, a date has yet to be set.

The post Championship club owner accused of alleged financial crimes with prosecutor’s office asking for a 12 year prison sentence appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Watford defender Wesley Hoedt scored a stunning goal against Hull City yesterday.

Winning the ball back with a great challenge near the half-way line, he spotted the Ryan Allsop off his line and lobbed him from almost 45 yards out.

The keeper scrambled to get to it but could only watch it land straight into the net, far from his reach.

But it was his reaction to the goal that was amusing as he hilariously started to have a go at his teammates.

We are not sure what they could have done to stop him from being lobbed from that way out!

Watch the goal below:

??? Watford defender Wesley Hoedt scored from 45 yards today vs Hull City! ? pic.twitter.com/nNgEnRcqBw

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) December 2, 2023

The keeper getting mad at his players for getting lobbed from 45 yards is nasty business. Bro, you're at fault here. https://t.co/Nfug4tM27Q

— Cornel? (@KoneMoheavy_) December 3, 2023

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Aug 11 2024, 22:54

The post Video: Hull City goalkeeper gets lobbed from 45 yards and hilariously blames his teammates for it appeared first on CaughtOffside.