Reports that Watford manager Quique Sánchez Flores had made an ambitious £7m move for Atlético Madrid midfielder Thomas Teye Partey - known simply as Thomas in Spain - have been swiftly followed with the suggestion that the move is unlikely to come to fruition.
In the public eye
Thomas signed for the La Liga club in 2011 after being spotted playing in his native Ghana, and the 22-year-old has recently been attracting attention in the Spanish media after scoring Atletico's winner in a 1-0 victory over Levante this weekend.
Flores, who previously managed Atletico, reportedly had Thomas on his radar, with reports in Spain even suggesting that he had sent in a bid just under £7million pounds. The Watford manager believes that the highly-rated youngster could be the answer to the lack of pace in the Hornets' midfield as they bid to continue their impressive form in the Premier League since their promotion.
Flores remains ambitious
Watford sit ninth in the league table, a full 12 points above the relegation zone - and despite back-to-back defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City - prompting Flores to bemoan his side's bad luck in conceeding late in both fixtures - the Watford boss believes that Thomas could help his side push forward with their ambitious plans.
Before his goal against Levante at the weekend, it was believed that Thomas could soon be on his way out of the club due to a lack of playing time which would affect his development. Now, however, Marca reports that Atletico manager Diego Simeone has instructed his bosses not to sell the player to Watford, suggesting that he could be in the Argentine's future plans.
It would be a big blow to Flores' aspirations for Watford if this turns out to be the case, and the Spaniard may have to prepare to look elsewhere for reinforcements during the January transfer window.
