Jorge Cabezas leaves: 3 players Watford should loan out this summer
FLW looks at those who could depart Vicarage Road on a loan deal next season
The 2024/25 season will be Tom Cleverley’s first full season in management.
Having announced his retirement from professional football last summer, the former Watford and Manchester United midfielder remained on the coaching team under Valerien Ismael at Vicarage Road, before being thrust into the limelight on a temporary basis until the end of the season.
However, the 34-year-old put together an impressive string of results and performances which landed him the head coach role on a full-time basis, leaving him with plenty of decisions to make over the summer.
The former midfielder will be wanting stability and time – two facets of football management that haven’t been associated with Watford for some time – as he looks to mould a squad capable of pushing towards the top six next season. Therefore, plenty of brutal decisions will be made when it comes to outgoings.
With that in mind, Football League World have looked at those who could be sanctioned a loan exit across the 2024/25 campaign from the Hornets.
Ince joined Watford last season from cash-strapped Reading after the Royals’ relegation to League One for an estimated £50,000 fee.
However, what doesn’t paint the full transfer fee in any success alongside his limited game time at Vicarage Road – particularly under the aforementioned Cleverley, where he played just 21 minutes of football – is the fact that he is the club’s highest earner at present, earning an estimated £30,000 per week – a figure only beaten by Newcastle United loanee Jamal Lewis.
The 32-year-old only started 7 of his 28 Championship appearances too, scoring just two goals. Given the estimated wages Ince is said to be on, it may be hard for the club to sanction a loan deal, given that he also has just one year left on his contract. However, if they were to strike a deal where they pay some of his wages in a temporary exit, that would give Cleverley much more room to work with in the transfer window.
Next up is 22-year-old defender James Morris, who continued his breakthrough into the first-team picture this season with 12 appearances and 10 starts.
The defence is one area of the Hornets squad which possesses a lot of established Championship quality, therefore a loan move wouldn’t necessarily be the worst scenario in the world for Morris, as he would be playing regular first-team football at a time where he needs it most.
Although the aforementioned Lewis’ loan spell with the club was a mishap, Watford still hold the services of the versatile Ken Sema, who has featured as a left-back/left-wing back on a multitude of occasions.
Therefore, although Cleverley had the freedom to experiment with his side once Championship safety seemed assured, Morris could fall into a category of players who will be monitored from elsewhere next season, with his contract still running until 2026.
