Watford are in regular contact with Manchester City over a possible loan return for Stephen Mfuni, but the larger summer question may be Nestory Irankunda's future. Luke Dowling says the club are talking to City regularly, while also warning that transfer movement has picked up this week.

Mfuni's case

The City link has a recent first-team reference point. Mfuni played 45 minutes in Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Inter Milan before being replaced at half-time, and Max Alleyne replaced him, another former Watford loanee. That gives Watford something more concrete than a name on a shortlist. It is a live example of where he is in City's plans right now.

Dowling's own wording was pretty direct. He told BBC Sport that "the club are in contact with Man City regularly... so just wait and see". On the same subject, he added that "it wouldn't surprise me with Man City losing Nathan Ake this year, if they kept him around". That sounds less like a completed move and more like a conversation Watford want to keep alive.

Mfuni's City outing also came with a 6.5 rating. It was a solid enough showing for a young player, not a headline performance, and that fits the kind of loan Watford are chasing.

Irankunda and the wider summer picture

Dowling said the bigger movement this week has involved Irankunda himself. His line to BBC Sport was that "things move quickly with transfers. This week in particular we've seen a lot more movement, including [from] Nestory himself". Watford are also interested in bringing in a new striker, either on loan or permanently, which hints at a window that still has more than one moving part.

Irankunda has been linked with a £14m move to Sporting CP, but Watford have not said he is going anywhere. What Dowling did say is enough to keep the door open on both sides, a return for Mfuni and possible movement around Irankunda.

That is where the squad planning starts to get more interesting. Watford have lost four of their last five cup matches, so the need for depth is obvious enough. If Mfuni comes back, it would be a useful piece of business. If Irankunda moves, the shape of the rest of Watford's summer could change quickly.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →