Watford & Swansea rivalling Feyenoord in transfer race for defender | OneFootball

Watford and Swansea are both looking to sign Arminia Bielefeld’s George Bello, although they will face competition from Feyenoord for the left-back.

Who is George Bello?

The 21-year-old, who is capable of playing down the left flank, joined the German side in January 2022, and it’s fair to say that he hasn’t had the best time with Arminia Bielefeld.

The side were relegated from the Bundesliga in the campaign Bello joined midway through, and they have just dropped to the third tier in Germany after losing a relegation play-off to Wehen earlier this month.

Despite that, Bello has caught the eye with his performances, as Football Insider have revealed that both Swansea and Watford are keeping tabs on the player as they look to add to their squads this summer.

Bringing in an attack-minded left-back is a priority for the Swans after Ryan Manning’s departure, whilst it’s an area of the pitch that the Hornets are keen to address in the coming weeks.

However, a deal won’t be straightforward for the Championship pair, as the update adds that Feyenoord are also keen on the player, and they could have an advantage in the race as the Dutch champions will be in the Champions League next season.

Interestingly, it’s claimed that Bello, who was bought to Bielefeld for around £1.8m, will be allowed to leave on a free transfer as part of a clause in his contract following their relegation.

The youngster has already won seven caps for the United States.

This would be a smart signing for Swansea or Watford

The fact that Bello appears to be available on a free transfer makes this a no-brainer for either of the clubs involved, as the youngster still has time on his side in terms of improving, whilst he has good pedigree already.

Of course, his time with Arminia Bielefeld hasn’t gone to plan, but he will have learnt a lot from his time there, and he will be keen to move on instead of playing in the third tier. So, you would expect him to move on, and his attacking style makes him a good fit for Swansea, whilst new Watford boss Valerien Ismael is likely to play with wing-backs, which again should suit Bello.

The major issue for both clubs here is Feyenoord’s interest, as they’re a very big club, but he may struggle for game time in the Netherlands, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.