Although the Hornets have been linked to the midfielder for over an year, claims from Tuttosport are not very encouraging, since there’s some heavy competition from Spain on the way.
It’s Valencia who are said to be ready to offer €20m for the 23-year-old, a very good reason why they are now leading the race.
Arsenal and Watford are mentioned as the two other clubs who have made contact, but the more concrete interest has come from the La Liga side.
Last summer, an Italian TV channel had claimed Watford were close to signing the midfielder for the exact same €20m, but it 
was just a false alarm.
Clubs like Lyon are ruled out because it’s not the player’s intention to return to France. But between England and Spain, the mediterranean country seems a more likely destination for now.
