Troy Deeney, Cardiff City's failed summer pursuit and why the Bluebirds might have missed a trick on the Watford skipper
By Dominic Booth
Wednesday 20th February 2019
Cardiff City will lock horns with a familiar foe on Friday night; someone who has proven a thorn in their side both in the Championship and the Premier League.
But there's more to the Bluebirds' relationship with Troy Deeney, Watford's captain and talisman.
They made a very serious attempt to sign Deeney last summer.
It could have been the signing to solve the problem that plagued the first half of Cardiff's season; a problem that has only recently been addressed by the form of Oumar Niasse and — against Southampton at least — Kenneth Zohore.
But how close did they come? And does the Deeney evidence from this season suggest he would have suited Neil Warnock's side?
What happened in the summer
Despite having Gary Madine, Anthony Pilkington and Lee Tomlin around their squad in the summer — all of whom have now moved elsewhere — Cardiff knew they needed a striker of top-flight quality and experience.
Zohore's scoring record in the Championship told Warnock he needed another option. Deeney was on the transfer wish-list along with other names such as Danny Ings, who ended up at relegation rivals Southampton.
The news that Cardiff were targeting Deeney was met with a mixed reception in south Wales, though most were excited at the prospect of the bustling target man donning the blue shirt.
Deeney's reputation for troubling Premier League defences with his physicality, and his leadership qualities, made him an attractive proposition.
Unfortunately for the Bluebirds, Watford's asking price of £15million proved too steep for a player whose peak years are behind him. His reported wages of £100,000 per week were also an issue.
Cardiff may have been willing to splash £10million.
And although it appeared Deeney had dropped down the Hornets' pecking order, boss Javi Gracia didn't want to make too many adjustments to his squad. It was never a goer, despite t he bona fide Bluebirds' interest.
What's happened since
Deeney, forever a forceful and charismatic personality, has defied any doubts about his age.
It was understood the 30-year-old would have departed Vicarage Road had the club been willing to sell in the summer.
But it says so much about his status at Watford that he stayed and has firmly held off the challenge from Andre Gray, whose sparkling pre-season form threatened to demote Deeney.
He's started 20 of the Hornets' 26 league games. Gray and Isaac Success have started eight apiece, while Stefan Okaka failed to start a game before leaving for Udinese on loan in the summer.
Deeney has never been known for a prolific goal record.
But he's chipped in with six goals already this season — as many as he managed in the whole of last term — as Gracia's men have won plaudits en route to 37 points and eighth place in the table.
Did Cardiff miss a trick?
Deeney's all-action performance in the Watford win over Cardiff earlier this season told them all they needed to know.
While the Bluebirds floundered badly at Vicarage Road in one of their poorest displays of the campaign ( 3-2 was a very flattering scoreline ), Deeney ran riot. In contrast, Cardiff couldn't use their forward — a converted right-back in Callum Paterson — to any great effect.
With Gerard Deulofeu playing in the pocket behind him, the Walsall product used his physicality and hold-up play to bring the Spaniard and others into play.
That game, and others, persuaded Warnock to go out and spend big on a striker in January.
It's an incredibly sensitive subject, but £15m was the fee the Bluebirds paid for Emiliano Sala last month.
We all know that tragedy denied Warnock his record signing and affected subsequent transfer dealings. But Deeney could have been there since the start of the season for the same money.
The onus is now on Niasse to fill the void up front for the Bluebirds and build on a promising start since signing on loan from Everton.
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