Watford Line Up Ambitious Move for Wantaway Serie A Star

Watford Chase Bid for Wantaway Serie A Midfielder

EFL Championship side Watford are chasing a move for AS Roma midfielder Edoardo Bove this winter, with the Italian hoping to make an exit from his home country, according to the Watford Observer.

The 23-year-old midfielder is exploring the options available to him as he seeks a potential exit from Serie A during this transfer window, with Watford in reported talks with his camp over bringing him to Hertfordshire on a permanent basis.

The 2002-born midfielder is unable to play in Serie A anymore after he suffered an unfortunate collapse against Inter Milan last season whilst on loan with Fiorentina, which led to him having an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator fitted - league rules dictate that players are not able to play with such a device fitted. A similar case of this was for former Inter midfielder Christian Eriksen, which prompted a move to Premier League side Brentford.

In order for Bove to continue his career, he must make an exit out of the Italian top flight with Watford one of the main clubs interested in his signature.

Bove Linked with Watford Switch

With Watford currently occupying a playoff spot in the EFL Championship this season, The Hornets are looking to add reinforcement to their first-team ranks as they chase promotion back to the Premier League after four years of absence.

Watford are reportedly leading the race to sign former Fiorentina loanee midfielder Edoardo Bove (23) from Serie A giants Roma 🐝 Via | @VoceGiallorossa

Bove has been forced to carry on his career outside of Italy after having a cardiac defibrillator implanted 🇮🇹 #WatfordFC pic.twitter.com/as5gZ8twh8

— eflpublished (@eflpublished) January 7, 2026

Bove is reportedly keen on a move into the English leagues, with his contract with Roma set to be terminated due to his medical unavailability. The Championship side hold optimism that a deal can be struck with Bove and his camp - they understand that financial and medical obligations will need to be sorted before any deal can proceed, but the club believe they can land his signature this month.

Why Watford Believe in Bove

Watford may need to treat this move with a modicum of patience - Bove has not played a single game of league football since his unfortunate complication against Inter back in February last year.

Some Bove brilliance. 🌟#watfordfc pic.twitter.com/euB9UIdOkq

— TheWatfordWay (@thewatfordway) January 7, 2026

Such an unfortunate event will not be an easy one for Bove to recover from personally, let alone due to the lengthy layoff it has presented him with in terms of his professional career. However, there is little doubt as to Bove's quality, who was linked with Premier League side Nottingham Forest shortly before his loan to Fiorentina.

Watford are looking to hand Bove a career lifeline akin to the one thrown to Christian Eriksen by Brentford after the Dane's cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 - should they land it, there would be little doubt to it being a shrewd move for a talented player.