Nestory Irankunda has impressed for Watford this season.
The summer arrival from Bayern Munich has two goals and one assist in nine Championship games.
The Australia international is also Watford’s most valuable talent. This hasn’t been lost on the Pozzo family’s technical director Gianluca Nani, who appears to be eyeing pound signs already.
The Italian spoke to SportItalia and made a lighthearted comment about the 19-year-old.
When asked about Barcelona’s insane valuation of Lamine Yamal, Nani said: “We’re talking about the best player in the world with a great future ahead of him. It’s not just the €400m. It’s the cost of the player, the years of his contract. I think it could be a deal worth more than a billion.
“If you calculate the total cost, it becomes an unsustainable operation. That’s why for me it’s an unreal operation. As they say in Rome, maybe they’ll fall for it.”
He was asked about Irankunda directly after, and the 62-year-old joked he’s worth more.
“We are asking more than Barcelona are asking for Yamal [he laughs]. ”
In the 2024/25 season, the teenager was loaned to Grasshoppers. He could only score once in the campaign, but the experience appears to have helped.
Watford signed him for a bargain fee of €4m. Nani clearly rates the youngster, but first Irankunda’s mind needs to be on helping the Hornets achieve their goals this season.