Reports broke this week that Cardiff City had made an approach for Watford captain Troy Deeney. The 30-year-old striker is rumoured to be a target for Neil Warnock as the Bluebirds continue to strengthen their squad ahead of August’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth.
But at a rumoured price of £15 million, what would Deeney bring to the Bluebirds? We investigate.
#CardiffCity‘s interest in #WatfordFC skipper Troy Deeney is genuine, @Observer_Owl understandshttps://t.co/KuBr08UBSC
— Harry Gray (@harryjbgray) July 31, 2018
What the stats say
It’s possible to read too much into stats. Would Lionel Messi post the same stats playing in Neil Warnock’s Cardiff system? Probably not.
What stats do give us though, is an idea of what a player could bring, their traits and characteristics.
Looking at Deeney’s comparison to current number one striker Kenneth Zohore and Brighton’s Glenn Murray (a similar style of player at a similar sized club), it’s fair to say that Deeney falls slightly short.
One of Cardiff fan’s main criticism of Zohore is that he doesn’t find the net often enough, but Deeney scored even fewer last season. He did play five games less (29 to Zohore’s 34 and Murray’s 35).
Most would note that Deeney brings more than goals. His leadership and presence up top is a key component to his game, echoed by winning 41% of his aerial duels last season.
Is this a big step up on Zohore though? I’d argue not. Deeney won just 3% more of his aerial duels – hardly a big upgrade on that front.
Leadership
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What Deeney does bring is leadership. As Watford’s captain, he’s clearly a force to be reckoned with and isn’t scared to speak his mind. He’s fiery and vocal – something you’d perhaps argue Zohore lacks.
“Whether Troy is scoring goals or not, outside of the pitch he is massive for the club. He is club captain and he has a lot of responsibility that comes with that.” – Adrian Mariappa, Deeney’s Watford team-mate
Experience
The Watford man also has a ton of experience. In a Cardiff squad with relatively little Premier League experience, it could be crucial.
When things aren’t going our way, it’s important that the dressing room stick together. Having someone with the experience of the tough times in the Premier League to have a calm head and keep morale high will be imperative. Deeney would no doubt bring that.
Financial
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The rumoured fee of £15 million doesn’t sit too well with the some of Cardiff fans. It is a lot of money for a 30-year-old.
I’d argue that the fee is about right for Deeney’s Premier League credentials. The problem is, of course, that there isn’t much potential to make profit on his signing.
Deeney’s rumoured wages of £100,000 per-week do raise concern for me. In a summer of sensible recruitment and spending within our means, this is a strange step away from our strategy.
The Watford view
We caught up with Talk Sport’s Football Editor and Watford fan David Cameron Walker and the Watford Observer’s Harry Gray about Deeney’s potential move to South Wales.
On what Deeney would bring to Cardiff…
DCW: “You’d be getting a traditional target man. His game these days is almost entirely built around winning headers and holding the ball up. He’s a good finisher and if he gets good chances I’d still back him to score his fair share of goals. You’d also be getting a player who will give his all for the team, will chase lost causes and is never one to shirk a physical battle, though that cost him last season as he ended up missing 7 games through suspension.”
HG: “Deeney would provide a physicality and a focal point in attack. His Premier League experience is perhaps the most appealing aspect of a deal for Cardiff, though. He is a genuine leader at Watford and is as important in the dressing room as on the pitch. His goal return was poor last season (6) and he struggled with fitness and disciplinary issues. However, Cardiff would be getting a player who has benefitted from a full pre-season this year.”
On Deeney leaving Watford…
HG: “I feel it would be a big gamble for Watford to sell given he is one of three recognised forwards on their books along with Andre Gray and Stefano Okaka. Okaka has been linked with a move away since January and losing both would leave Watford painfully short of attacking options.
I therefore don’t see Deeney departing unless Watford can bring in another striker, especially considering they hardly need to sell after the fee received for Richarlison last week.”
DCW: “Deeney is a club legend and the single most important player in the Pozzo era, he’s been absolutely vital to our relative success both on and off the pitch. However there has been a feeling for a little while now that his best days are behind him and we might be better served cashing in while we still can. Personally, I would have no problem with him staying as I feel he still has something to offer at this level, and selling to a club that could very well be a relegation rival always makes me a little uneasy.”
On the reported £15 million fee…
DCW: “I think £15m for any Premier League player is a good fee these days, especially one who has proven that he can score a decent amount of goals in this league. I still believe he’s capable of returning 10-12 goals if he plays the majority of games, and for a newly promoted team that can be the difference between survival and relegation.”
HG: ” Considering last summer Watford rejected £20m from Leicester, £15m seems about right for a player who had a poor season last term. He’s English and an inflated market place will always mean playing slightly over the odds late in the window.”
You can follow David on Twitter here. Harry is on Twitter here.