“We need to be more creative” – Watford director gives hints on summer transfer business

Covid-19 has brought uncertainty to every business, with football very much in that bracket.

Now that it seems clear the season will be returning, more concentration is being given to the transfer market, with the numbers of agents at work seeming to have increased over the past week or so.

Before transfers actually happen there needs to be some clarity on when the window will open and close. The opening date isn’t such a concrete thing, given that deals are often agreed in advance of that, and even announced as such.

Watford’s technical director Filippo Giraldi has been speaking to Sky Italia about how different the summer market will be, and hinted that loan deals could be more widespread.

Quoted by Mondo Udinese, the Watford man explained: “I think the formula of the loan with right or obligation of redemption will be used a lot. Another important thing will be the timing of the market, even today we do not know what it will be: FIFA has always said that it wants a market of a maximum of 12 weeks. It will be important to standardise the market end dates, then the start dates can be a little more flexible.”

Watford may well be looking at what business they could do via Udinese, and through the Pozzo family’s contacts in Italy. Loans and swaps have long been more prevalent in Serie A than elsewhere, so that experience could benefit the Premier League club.