Watford sacking Tom Cleverley may now spell summer transfer exit for star touted as ‘outstanding’ in February 2025

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Watford’s decision to sack Tom Cleverley shocked the EFL on Tuesday afternoon, as the former Manchester United midfielder was given his marching orders after just over a year in charge.

The Hornets finished 14th in the Championship in 2024/25, and while not much was expected of them, just five wins in 2025 was enough for the club’s board to say is enough is enough to the now out of work 35-year-old.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
11	SwanseaSwansea	46	17	10	19	51	56	-5	61
12	Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday	46	15	13	18	60	69	-9	58
13	NorwichNorwich	46	14	15	17	71	68	3	57
14	WatfordWatford	46	16	9	21	53	61	-8	57
15	QPRQPR	46	14	14	18	53	63	-10	56
16	PortsmouthPortsmouth	46	14	12	20	58	71	-13	54
17	Oxford UnitedOxford United	46	13	14	19	49	65	-16	53

The decision to sack Cleverley has been criticised already by supporters of all clubs, and Watford are now looking for yet another manager in what has become a tradition for the Hertfordshire outfit.

However, fans may also be fearing the departure of one key player who has excelled over the course of the 2024/25 campaign, and the decision to let go of the main man in the dugout may accelerate his potential exit.

Imran Louza has been influential for Watford, but Tom Cleverley’s sacking could lead to a Watford departure

At the end of the season, Watford’s supporters voted Imran Louza as the club’s player of the season, and it’s clear to see why after an excellent year at Vicarage Road.

However, it could have gone all so differently for the Morocco international after he arrived back in England from a loan spell with Lorient in France. He had not quite hit the heights in the Championship previously and his future was up for debate.

Yet he stayed, and despite featuring just three times in the opening 13 games of the season, he went on to be a key player for Cleverley – while winning over supporters week-by-week with his incredible performances.

In February, his now former manager spoke of how important he had become to the team.

He said (via: Watford Observer): “I’ve not watched the goal back yet but Imran’s got that in his locker. He’s been outstanding since he came into the team two or three months ago. The side to Imran that people don’t see is he’s played through pain a lot recently.

“He’s really showed character and leadership skills. That was an excellent strike today, and he’s capable of that.”

Nevertheless, now that his leader and mentor has departed, he may just be looking for a way out himself with there now further uncertainty surrounding the direction of the club after their now ex-manager had managed to stabilise them.

He has three years left on his contract, and this will make a move expensive for the buying side, but he will ambitions of top flight football and Watford cannot provide that at the moment.

Watford are set for a turbulent summer out of nowhere

The transfer window will more than likely be a busy one for the Hornets, as a new manager looks to imprint their mark on the club, but it perhaps did not need to be this way as Cleverley would have had his own targets figured out.

Boxer Anthony Joshua is looking to invest in Watford if given the opportunity, and this could have only increased the buzz surrounding Vicarage Road, but momentum has been lost due to the decision taken by the board.

Supporters will grow even more frustrated once August comes around if performances are not up to a good enough standard as Cleverley was building an interesting project in WD18 and those who had bought into it on the pitch may look elsewhere for opportunities.

Watford’s rich history of managerial changes has not helped them in the past, and it may just be the final nail in the coffin for their hopes of returning to the Premier League next year already.