Barcelona's Gerard Deulofeu Reportedly Close to Watford Transfer

Watford are reportedly set to sign Barcelona's out-of-favour winger Gerard Deulofeu before the end of the January transfer window.

According to Mundo Deportivo (h/t Alex Martin of MailOnline), Blaugrana manager Ernesto Valverde is happy to let the Masia graduate move on, as he's struggled to make an impression since returning to the Camp Nou in the summer.

Per the article, new Hornets boss Javi Gracia is keen to strengthen his options in the final third and that the 23-year-old is a target.

The Blaugrana activated a buyback clause in Deulofeu's Everton contract in the summer, landing him for £10.5 million.

Adam Leventhal of Sky Sports News offered his insight into the potential deal, but he said there is still progress to be made:

The winger was used often in the early stages of the season as Barcelona lost Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain and their big summer signing, Ousmane Dembele, was injured.

However, Valverde restructured his side to not be dependent on wingers, and Deulofeu has suffered as a result. The former Toffees star hasn't started a game in La Liga since October.

There's a danger of what promised to be a bright career fizzling out, as he's failed to fulfil the potential he showcased from an early age in the Barcelona academy.

As Ronan Murphy of Goal noted, a move to Vicarage Road would be a little galling for the player:

It may be exactly what Deulofeu needs, though, as he's failed to make the grade at Everton, Sevilla and Barcelona.

The youngster was sensational at times with Everton on loan in 2013-14 and was expected to kick on the following season, when he moved to Sevilla on a temporary basis. However, his development stagnated, and he moved back to the Toffees the following summer.

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But Deulofeu failed to find consistency, and when Ronald Koeman arrived as manager in the summer of 2016, the Spain international was pushed to the fringes of the side. A loan move to AC Milan yielded some promise before Barcelona brought him back ahead of this campaign.

Matteo Bonetti of beIN Sports believes a move back to the San Siro would benefit the player and the Serie A side:

What is important for Deulofeu at this stage of his career is regular game time, and you sense at Watford he would get that under Gracia. After all, the forward can light up a match with his pace, crossing quality and trickery.

If he is to scale the heights so many expected, the upward trajectory needs to start as soon as possible. A move to the Hornets may feel like a backwards step, but with regular minutes under a manager with faith in him, Deulofeu could use this switch as a springboard.