According to Daily Mail, Watford and Cardiff City are interested in making a move for £5 million-rated Nottingham Forest winger Joe Lolley.
The 26-year-old has also caught the eye of Championship outfit West Brom as the Baggies look to add more firepower to their attack to continue their surge for promotion. (h/t Daily Mail)
Lolley has been in tremendous form for Forest in the Championship this season, scoring 6 goals and providing 6 assists from 20 appearances in the second tier.
Lolley was at the centre of things as Forest played out a dramatic 5-5 draw with Aston Villa this week, providing 4 assists for Tammy Abraham and capped off an outstanding display with a wonderful goal towards the end.
The 26-year-old helped Huddersfield Town gain promotion to the top flight and made 6 appearances for the Terriers in the Premier League last season.
Standing at 5ft. 10 inches, Lolley has just the perfect height for a winger. Essentially a left-winger by trade, Lolley has also been used on the left and through the centre in the attacking third. Operating as a right-footed inverted winger down the left, Lolley is known for his ability to cut inside with pace and uses his shooting ability to good effect to find the net from the edge of the box.
Blessed with a sound technique for a winger, Lolley has a good first-touch and keeps exceptional close control, allowing him to use his dribbling to weave his way past the defenders. He is also adept at link-up play and often plays short passes to combine effectively with his teammates down the flanks.
Lolley has averaged 2.4 shots, 1.4 key passes and 1.6 tackles per game in the Championship this season, figures which speak volumes of his all-around ability as a winger.
He is a player with a lot of character and mental toughness and has that ‘never say die’ attitude about him, having risen from the ranks of non-league side Kidderminster Harriers to the Premier League.
To put things into perspective, Watford can do a world of good to their squad depth if they can beat Cardiff and West Brom to snap up Joe Lolley.
Watford made a bright start to their Premier League campaign with four wins on a trot but the Hornets have lost momentum in recent weeks with a series of lacklustre displays. Javi Gracia’s men were in the top six at the start of the season but have now slipped down to 11th in the standings.
As things stand, the manager needs to freshen up the squad with some new faces in January to get things back on track. And Joe Lolley’s ability to play on either flank makes him a handy addition to the attack.
Roberto Pereyra has been in good form this season, playing on the left of a midfield four while Will Hughes has done reasonably well operating from the right.
However, the Hornets do not have too many backup options if either of the two wingers is sidelined with an injury. They have the likes of Gerard Deulofeu who can play on either side but Watford would benefit a great deal if they continue to use the former Barcelona man as a striker.
That said, Watford should definitely make a move for Joe Lolley to bolster the squad as he has all the attributes to replicate his success in the Premier League.