Watford FC's ideal Giorgi Chakvetadze replacement is 31-year-old playing in Italy | OneFootball

We took a look at who Giorgi Chakvetadze's ideal replacement is given the transfer interest in him

Giorgi Chakvetadze has made an excellent start to the season with Watford, and is understandably attracting interest from elsewhere.

Despite the Georgian international signing a new five-year deal at Vicarage Road in September, the 25-year-old is reportedly attracting interest from Premier League side Wolves, with Gary O'Neil's side keen on a January swoop for the Watford attacker.

Just last week, after their win over Oxford United, boss Tom Cleverley told Sky Sports that he believed that Chakvetadze could play for a top four Premier League side, showing just how high his ceiling is.

With that in mind, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him attract transfer interest from top-flight clubs from both England and abroad in January, and despite his recent five-year deal, Watford could be searching for a replacement in the not so distant future.

Using FBref, we've taken a look at which player is the most similar to Chakvetadze using their similar players tool, and the answer may come as a surprise to some supporters.

Daniele Casiraghi is the ideal replacement for Watford FC's Giorgi Chakvetadze

FBref has a similar players tool which compares players on their attributes and stats, and the most similar player to Chavketadze is Italian Daniele Casiraghi.

If the Vicarage Road faithful aren't familiar with Casiraghi, then it's perhaps not a major surprise as the 31-year-old Italian plays for Südtirol in Serie B, and has done so since 2019, so he won't be on the radar of most Watford supporters.

As a 31-year-old who plays in Serie B, he may not be the most inspiring of replacements for Chakvetadze, but he's clearly got a very similar profile to the Georgian, and has scored two goals and registered an assist in 13 league appearances this season.

The former Italy U20 international has spent his entire career in Italy, but according to FBref, he is the ideal replacement for Chakvetadze should he leave.

Most Watford supporters would likely be underwhelmed if Casiraghi was the replacement for Chakvetadze given their respective CV's, but it certainly gives food for thought.

However, the second most similar player to Chakvetadze using FBref is certainly a more familiar name, and it's Chelsea's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. While he may be out of reach for the Hornets given his £30m move to Stamford Bridge in the summer, it's still interesting to see which players worldwide are most comparable to the Georgian.

While Casiraghi may not be a household name, he's certainly doing something right to be the most similar player to Chakvetadze.

Watford currently sit in the play-offs places after an impressive start to the season, and while Chakvetadze has struggled for goals, he's been a standout player for Cleverley's side.

He's a class act, and his ability to beat a defender is arguably better than anyone else in the division, and the fact that Watford not only signed him, but tied him down to a long-term deal in September was incredibly shrewd.

With a deal at Vicarage Road until the summer of 2029, Wolves, or any other interested party will have to pay a substantial fee to sign him in January.

It's a win-win for Watford, and they either keep Chakvetadze, a hugely important player, or receive a hefty fee which not only boosts the club's coffers but can be reinvested back into the squad too.

However, as FBref have shown, trying to replace Chakvetadze would be a tough ask, and there's no guarantee that his replacement would be anywhere near as good as he is.

For now, Cleverley will be hoping that the Georgian remains at Vicarage Road, and he could well be the difference between the Hornets reaching the play-offs or not.