Watford

We're nearing the midway point of the January transfer window, so here's your latest round-up of the best Watford transfer gossip to drop so far:

• As Claudio Ranieri searches for a new centre-back, Watford have made a bid for Liverpool's Nat Phillips, who the Merseyside club are willing to listen to offers for during this transfer window. (Football Insider), external

• The Hornets are also one of the teams in the picture to sign Alexis Flips from Reims, who is valued at around 7m euros. (Footmercato - in French), external

• Meanwhile, Watford have told full-back Danny Rose that he will not play for the club again and is free to leave in January. (Sky Sports), external

Catch up with all the latest transfer news by tuning into BBC Radio 5 Live's Transfer Gossip Daily podcast on BBC Sounds.

You can also get all the best transfer chat via our gossip column here and track every done deal throughout January here.

What do you make of Watford's transfer window so far? Let us know here.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a massive few weeks for Claudio Ranieri's side.

Six defeats in a row and an upcoming fixture list that reads Newcastle (a), Burnley (a) and Norwich (h).

So how are you feeling? Will these games turn around your season?

Let us know your thoughts on all things Watford over here

Watford visit Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday - who will make it into Claudio Ranieri's starting XI?

With the two teams separated by just two points at the bottom of the table, both will know they can't really afford to lose, while victory here could also be the catalyst for Premier League survival.

Which players are you backing to get the job done in the biggest game of the season so far?

It's time to choose your Hornets team to face Newcastle

Image source, Getty Images

The 2021-22 Premier League season has provided plenty of drama so far and showcased some stellar performances.

In each game, we have given you the opportunity to rate each player involved out of 10.

While no Hornets' players made the final starting XI for the team of the season so far, here are your picks for Watford's top three performers:

1. Ismaila Sarr - 6.33

2. Emmanuel Dennis - 6.22

3. Joshua King - 6.0

See who did make it into the full team, plus every club's top three rated players

The Premier League and the Carabao Cup semi-final, first leg between Liverpool and Arsenal are the BBC Radio 5 Live commentaries on offer this week.

• Wednesday, 12 January – Tottenham v Chelsea (19:45)

• Wednesday, 12 January – West Ham v Norwich (Sports Extra, 19:45)

• Thursday, 13 January – Liverpool v Arsenal (19:45)

• Friday, 14 January – Brighton v Crystal Palace (20:00)

• Saturday, 15 January – Newcastle v Watford (15:00)

• Sunday, 16 January – Liverpool v Brentford (14:00)

• Sunday, 16 January – Tottenham v Arsenal (16:30)

All times GMT

Image source, Getty Images

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says he thought Claudio Ranieri would have been sacked by now because "performances haven't been good enough".

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "Watford made a mistake sacking Xisco Munoz.

"Ranieri has come in and any other Watford manager in the history of the club would have been sacked with the record he has got.

"They have been ruthless in the past and I don’t know what it is, but there is some attachment and connection with Ranieri.

"We all look at how their model has been in the past and we’ve scratched our heads. You look at the record under Ranieri and they have lost nine Premier League games. They are going  backwards.

"In the past, the gut instinct has been right to sack managers, and it has been on results and performances. Performances haven’t been good enough but the Pozzos aren’t pulling the trigger."

Hear more on Watford from 32'08 on BBC Sounds

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

The 4-1 defeat at Leicester in the FA Cup was Watford’s seventh loss in a row. Under Claudio Ranieri the Hornets have been beaten in 10 of their past 12 games.

Other head coaches would have gone by now at Vicarage Road. Ranieri is being given longer now that reinforcements have been brought in but he is going to need them to alter Watford’s form in the next three matches otherwise pressure will mount.

On Saturday they head to Newcastle, then it’s a trip to Burnley three days later and then Norwich to end a vital week.

So far Watford have signed Edo Kayembe, Hassane Kamara and Samir. All three could easily make their debuts - fitness/injuries/Covid permitting - at St James’ Park.

The Hornets need to freshen up a side drastically short of confidence. Watford put out a reasonable team at Leicester but the old problems remained - defensively poor, mistakes across the pitch and four more goals conceded - another indication that some of them aren’t Premier League level.

The three new signings all have pedigree and should improve the side, but can they produce immediately in the top flight and will they be a big enough influence in this struggling team?

They will need to be otherwise Watford are in big, big trouble.

The sides made 16 changes between them - Leicester nine and Watford seven - from their previous Premier League games, with the majority enforced by injury or Africa Cup of Nations duty.

But the FA Cup holders still produced a scintillating display to dispatch the Hornets.

Youri Tielemans, James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Marc Albrighton were all on target as they outclasssed Claudio Ranieri's side, whose poor form continued.

Watford have lost seven straight games and had only Joao Pedro's goal to show for another disappointing afternoon at King Power Stadium - they also lost 4-2 there in the league in November.

Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers: "I was absolutely thrilled with the performance - we only had eight senior players fit and they all played. With so many players out, to produce that performance and scoreline, makes me very proud and we're in the hat, which is the most important thing."

Watford head coach Ranieri told BBC Sport: "I put some players in and gave a rest to some other players. I can't say anything against them - they made the maximum effort - but Leicester scored the goals and we didn't."

We're now less than an hour away from kick-off between Leicester City and Watford at King Power Stadium.

Follow the game live, plus updates and highlights from all of Saturday’s FA Cup ties

Match highlights and report will be on this page later.

Premier League pair Leicester City and Watford make nine and seven changes respectively for the FA Cup meeting at the King Power.

The Foxes, decimated by injuries and availability issues with players off on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, hand a senior debut to Lewis Brunt. 

They can only name seven players on the bench, with Jamie Vardy and Jonny Evans added to an injury list approaching double figures.

Watford are without injured top scorer Emmanuel Dennis and also have a number of players absent at AFCON, which means a senior debut for 20-year-old defender James Morris.

Leicester XI: Ward, Albrighton, Brunt, Vestergaard, Daley-Campbell, Pereez, Tielemans, Choudhury, Maddison, Lookman, Barnes.

Subs: Schmeichel, Stolarczyk, Nelson, McAteer, Madivadua, Braybrooke, Alves.

Watford XI: Bachmann, Ngakia, Sierralta, Cathcart, Morris, Tufan, Cleverley, Sissoko, Hernandez, Joao Pedro, Fletcher.

Subs: Elliot, King, Sema, Kamara, Gosling, Kucka, Conteh, Forde, Agyakwa.

Geoff Doyle, BBC Three Counties Radio

Watford face holders Leicester City in the FA Cup on Saturday. Claudio Ranieri, who was an FA Cup finalist with Chelsea back in the day, comes up against his former club as two Premier League sides go head to head.

It should be considered as one of the bigger ties of the round. But the circumstances Watford find themselves in in the league, and the hand they have recently been dealt fixture-wise, means it isn't.

The rescheduling of the Burnley game and the date set for it means this tie is now even lower on the priority scale. The Hornets have bigger fish to fry; Premier League survival is top

The authorities have sandwiched in Watford's vital trip to Turf Moor on 18 January. It means that after the cup tie at Leicester, the Hornets play Newcastle, Burnley and Norwich in the space of six days - the three teams immediately below Watford in the relegation scrap.

The week could define Ranieri's side's season. To have such pivotal games (the first two away) with little rest in between means the head coach cannot take risks with his key players at Leicester.

Top scorer Emmanuel Dennis won't play and he will be one of many who will be given a break. So the Hornets will be weaker and inexperienced, although it will give opportunities for some of the younger players. Ranieri has already said that James Morris will start and Kamil Conteh might.

It could have been the perfect time to bed in new signings Hassane Kamara and fellow defender Samir, but Ranieri has to decide whether it's even too risky for that before a monumental following week.

Mark Lawrenson takes on BBC Radio 1 DJ and Leeds United fan Danny Howard in the FA Cup third round predictions.

Lawro's prediction: 2-0

Leicester have not kicked on in the way most people expected them to since winning last season's FA Cup, but they will still see off Watford, who are in a mess. I don't think Hornets boss Claudio Ranieri will have much to smile about on his latest return to King Power Stadium.

Danny's prediction: 2-0

I can't see any surprises happening with Leicester and Watford.

Find out how Lawro and Danny think the rest of the FA Cup third round ties will go

Image source, Getty Images

Claudio Ranieri hopes Senegal will "preserve" Ismaila Sarrr after he joined up with his national side for the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Watford forward has been out injured since November but was released by the club for the tournament on Tuesday.

"It's important the national Senegal team preserve him, because he's an important player for them and for us," said Ranieri.

"It's important he stays without Covid. I know he's injured. And I hope he comes back of course.

"But it's not my decision, it's the Senegal decision."

Watford manager Claudio Ranieri has been speaking to the media before Saturday's FA Cup third round tie with Leicester.

Here are the key lines:

• Ranieri believes that new signings, Hassane Kamara and Samir, can have an impact on the team going forward: "They are experienced players, two left-footers, and I think their personality could improve all the team."

• On the future of Danny Rose he explained that it was a "technical decision" and that the club would do what they could to support him but Ranieri "prefers other kinds of players." He added: "He is a good player, a good man, but I decide it's much better to change something."

• The Italian also spoke about the decision not to play Emmanuel Dennis this weekend, saying "Emmanuel took a kick in the match against Tottenham, then I prefer to preserve him for the next matches. It's not too serious but I want to preserve."

• He is concerned about winger Ismaila Sarr coming back with Covid "For Ismaila I hope Senegal, I'm sure Senegal, will preserve him. He's injured, there's Covid, and then it's important the national Senegal team preserve him because he's an important player for them and for us."

Watford are one of a number of clubs interested in Liverpool's Nat Phillips, who has been told he can leave Anfield last month.

Speaking about the centre-back on the Transfer Gossip Daily on BBC Sounds, the Telegraph's Luke Edwards said: "I’ve been impressed by Nat Phillips when I’ve seen him.

"He’s maybe not the great ball-playing centre-half that a lot of clubs want, but he came in last year when Liverpool had a lot of injury problems and did pretty well.

"For a club in the bottom half of the Premier League, he would be a really good signing and from what I’ve been told they are very much assessing his options.

"He will be allowed to leave Liverpool and I think he will be a good signing."

Hear more of the latest transfer rumours on BBC Sounds

Watford have made a bid for Liverpool's English centre-back Nathaniel Phillips, 24, who has been told he can leave the Reds this month. (Football Insider), external

The Hornets have also told England full-back Danny Rose, 31, that he will not play for the club again and is free to leave this transfer window. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column