Watford given perfect chance to sign striker Alfredo Morelos as Santos disaster tees up January deal

Watford are among several Championship clubs eyeing a January move for former Rangers star Alfredo Morelos after his current club Santos were relegated, TEAMtalk can exclusively reveal.

Brazilian football was handed a huge shock on Wednesday when one of the nation’s biggest clubs suffered the unthinkable, as Santos were relegated to the second division. It caused outrage among the club’s fans, who took the streets to show their anger by starting fires and trashing the local area.

Relegation has left question marks over the future of a number of stars who have release clauses in their contracts that have now become active with the club dropping into the second tier.

One such player is striker Morelos, who only joined the club after his contract expired at Rangers over the summer. Santos have a clause in his deal to allow them to release him but that is unlikely at this point.

Sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that a loan exit is the most likely outcome as clubs in the UK and around Europe would be keen to speak with Santos about a potential short-term deal. The best outcome for all parties seems to be a loan with an option to buy next summer.

Watford were a club who held interest in Morelos last summer but no move came to fruition and they would be a side who may reignite their interest.

The Brazilian giants are about to take a huge financial hit and are keen to bring in funds for next season as they look to bounce back into Serie A as soon as possible. This has already been demanded by an angry and shocked fanbase who set fire to players’ vehicles on Wednesday night.

Watford in busy race to land Alfredo Morelos

TEAMtalk can reveal multiple Championship clubs in England have a strong interest in Rangers’ all-time top European goalscorer and would be keen to bring him back to the UK. A resolution is likely to be found in January and the chances of Morelos staying in Brazil are very low.

The forward is not keen on playing second-tier football in South America and a move back to European football is something that would be of great interest to him. A buy option in the prospective loan deal could be included for up to £6million.

The 27-year-old has only played three times for his side since joining in September but his previous form at Rangers, where he starred in big European ties and broke the club’s European scoring record, make him an attractive prospect.

Signing Morelos would add more firepower to Watford manager Valerien Ismael’s attack. Ismael currently has centre-forwards Vakoun Bayo, Mileta Rajovic and Rhys Healey in his squad, but Morelos would certainly be a strong addition given his scoring record and experience.

Watford sit 10th in the Championship on 27 points following their 2-1 victory over Hull City on Saturday. The Hornets’ next game is a home clash against Southampton this weekend.