Watford and Stoke City eyeing up potential low cost transfer, young attacking midfielder has favourable contract situation

Watford and Stoke City are both closely following Yassine Benrahou, report L’Equipe in their Friday edition.

Benrahou is an attacking midfielder who hasn’t yet broken through with his club Bordeaux. At just 18 years of age, the attacking midfielder plays for Bordeaux’s reserve side.

Whilst that doesn’t present him as a wonder kid, it does provide another benefit for Stoke and Watford interest. Bordeaux haven’t signed Benrahou up to a full professional contract, which means clubs can sign him on technically a free transfer.

In practice in wouldn’t be free, with Stoke or Watford having to pay Bordeaux training compensation for the player, as long as the French club don’t look to release him.

It’s not the most exciting January transfer rumour for Stoke and Watford fans, but scouts from the two Premier League clubs have obviously seen something they like.

Benrahou came through France’s national Clairefontaine training centre, an academy which has produced some of the biggest names in French football in recent decades.