Galatasaray wins the race for Euro 2020 star Jens Stryger Larsen and averts the competition from Premier League new boys Watford.
The 30-year-old was one of Denmark’s best players during his run to the semi-finals of the Euro, and distinguished himself as a right-back before his country was eliminated by England at Wembley.
Larsen’s performances attracted the attention of many around Europe, with 90 minutes of learning before the tournament’s conclusion that Watford were among the clubs keen to do business with Udinese, their sister club.
But after initially being hopeful that Larsen could be persuaded to move to Vicarage Road and test himself in the Premier League, 90min has been told that the Dane has chosen the opportunity to play Champions League football with Galatasaray – if they were to get through the qualifying rounds.
The Turkish giants are working on an agreement that could be worth up to 4 million euros – which is more than Watford was willing to share for Larsen – and he will have better financial terms regarding his contract.
The versatile defender, who has appeared for Brondby, FC Nordsjælland and Austria Wien during his career, has been at Udinese since 2017 and made 140 appearances in all competitions. The club is owned by the Pozzo family, just like Watford, and players have often been switched between the two in recent years.
However, the Hornets will now move on to other goals, as they continue to gear up for their first season back in the Premier League. The campaign back to the top flight was ensured by the first question and the club has gradually strengthened manager Xisco’s hand this summer with new recruits.
Ismaila Sarr remains on Liverpool’s radar / Marc Atkins / Getty Images
Emmanuel Dennis is heading to arrive at Hertfordshire, but Watford also have an eye on keeping Ismaila Sarr’s valuable asset at the club. 90 minutes have been heard that he remains on the radar from Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, who want to revive their squad before an attempt to break the Premier League crown from Manchester City.
The Reds are willing to pay up to £ 40 million for Sarr, although at this stage it is unclear whether Watford would accept a bid despite their willingness to take part in talks.
