Exclusive – Zola: Watford hope to keep loaned players

Watford manager Gianfranco Zola has told talkSPORT the club expects a number of their on-loan players to sign permanently at the end of the season, as they look to continue their push for promotion into the Premier League.

The Hornets are currently on an impressive run of form which has seen them pick up 22 points from their last nine games, a feat which has taken them to second in the table and only five points behind once-runaway leaders Cardiff.

The Vicarage Road outfit have brought in a total of 11 players this season, with seven of them coming from Italian side Udinese.

And Chelsea legend, Zola, explained that the influx of on-loan players was due to the change of direction in the style of football the club’s new Italian owners, the Pozzo family , wanted to produce.

When asked how many of the Hornets’ loaned players they expect to keep, Zola admitted: “I don’t know, it’s very difficult for me to say.

“The players we have on loan here, I’m sure they will be signed definitely, so we can stop all this talking.

“The club was bought out seven days before the season, and the new owners wanted to do something different, play a different type of football, therefore we bought in some new players.

“Next year we will make sure we improve the team and maybe we might not need many players.

“There’s a good blend of talented young players and experienced clam and controlled players who can help the young ones keep control on the pitch.

“We’re enjoying our football, so we’ll continue to work keep working hard.”