Watford in transfer talks for Callum Styles and Cho Gue-Sung

Despite being one of the favourites to go straight back up to the Premier League last season, Watford disappointed in the Championship and missed out on the play-offs by a relatively wide margin.

As ever, the Hornets have changed managers once again and Valerien Ismael has arrived to take over from Chris Wilder at Vicarage Road with the hope that he will be the man who takes the Hertfordshire outfit back to the top flight of English football.

With new technical director Ben Manga seemingly having more control over transfers though than anyone in the past, there’s reason for optimism among supporters this summer, and a deal for Toulouse striker Rhys Healey is said to be already agreed on a free transfer.

Watford aren’t sitting still though and they are now reportedly in talks for two more players.

Watford keen on double deal for Cho Gue-sung and Callum Styles

According to The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal, negotiations are ongoing to bring versatile Callum Styles and striker Cho Gue-sung to the club from Barnsley and Jeonbuk Motors respectively.

A transfer fee hasn’t been agreed with the Tykes for Hungary international Styles, whilst the Hornets have been in talks with Jeonbuk Motors over the structure of payments in a deal for Gue-sung.

Personal terms are already thought to have been discussed though for the 25-year-old forward and that they should not be a problem in agreeing a deal to bring the Korean to England.

Who is Cho Gue-sung?

Gue-sung has played his entire club career in South Korea so far, but he has scored goals wherever he has gone.

He netted 14 times in his debut professional season for FC Anyang which saw him signed by Jeonbuk, and whilst on military duty for two years he played for Gimcheon Sangmu where he netted 22 times in 51 outings.

Gue-sung netted eight times in 11 outings at the back end of the 2022 Korean League season for Jeonbuk and has started the 2023 campaign pretty well with four goals in nine matches.

His real rise to notoriety came at the FIFA World Cup last year though when he scored twice against Ghana for the South Korea national team – he has a record of six goals in 23 outings for his nation.

Who is Callum Styles?

Styles meanwhile is a player that is no stranger to Watford manager Ismael, having been a key part of his Barnsley side that made it to the Championship play-offs in 2021.

He was utilised as a left wing-back and scored five times in 50 matches, as well as notching four assists, which led to him being linked with clubs in the Premier League and also other Championship clubs.

Following Barnsley’s relegation to League One the following year though, Styles joined Millwall on loan for the 2022-23 season, but there was no option to purchase in that particular deal, meaning the 10-cap Hungary international is heading back to Oakwell for the summer with two years left on his contract.

Ismael wants to bring the 23-year-old to Watford though with talks underway to try and agree a fee with the League One outfit.