Tom Dele-Bashiru, a former Manchester City academy prospect currently playing for Watford, has attracted interest from no less than three Serie A clubs this summer. Parma, Cremonese, and Bologna are reportedly keen on securing the services of the Nigerian midfielder.. However, Watford is asking a steep price of around €10 million, which could complicate the transfer negotiations.
Dele-Bashiru joined Watford in July 2019 on a six-year deal after his contract with Manchester City expired. Since then, he has been an important midfield presence for the Hornets, particularly in the Championship. Last season (2023–24), Tom featured in 27 league games for Watford, scoring 4 goals. Over his Watford career, he has amassed a total of 70 appearances across all competitions with 6 goals scored. But it is his midfield presence, link-up play, and disrupting the opponent’s offense that make him a valuable asset.
After leaving the Manchester City academy, Tom sought first-team opportunities that were limited at City. Regular playing time at Watford was exactly what he was looking for. A move to Italy would almost but guarantee that and will allow him to continue to develop. Not only that, he could also meet up with his brother, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru. He too was a Man City Academy graduate but left for the same reasons. He currently represents Lazio and has seven caps for the Super Eagles, appearing in for the Super Eagles against Rwanda last.
Tom Dele-Bashiru represented England at youth levels but later switched allegiance to Nigeria. He featured notably for the Nigerian U-20 team at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He even scored in a 4–0 win over Qatar. Although he is still waiting for his senior call-up for the Super Eagles, his performances at club level keep him in contention.
Considering Watford’s asking price of €10 million, a move to Serie A is possible but will depend on the Serie A clubs’ willingness to meet the valuation. Parma, Cremonese, and Bologna’s interest sounds appealing, but none of these teams have a large enough budget to meet this type of demand. If a move would to materialize, one side has to budge, and we don’t think that Watford is willing to such a prize asset depart for pennies.