27th Aug 2021 • Written by Alex Jones

Will Hughes: A Combative Warrior with a Dynamic Streak

Introduction

If Palace’s 0-0 draw against Brentford represented a tenacious display filled with combative defending and dynamism in midfield, then the arrival of Will Hughes is emblematic of the wider style of play exhibited in Patrick Vieira’s new-look Palace side.

According to The Sun, Palace are ‘poised’ to meet Watford’s demands for a £10 million deal to sign the midfielder in a deal worth an initial £7 million with the remainder to be met in performance-related clauses, with The Athletic later confirming a £6 million deal (rising to £10 million) is to be struck.

Yet to many Palace fans familiar with the endless barrage of paper talk, speculation and half-baked social media rumours, the topic of Hughes remains an enigmatic one. Is he a box-to-box operator? A central enforcer? A bulwark that shields the defence? In many ways, Hughes embodies all of these roles and none at all.

What could he bring to Vieira’s new-look Palace side?

For one, experience. At 26 years of age, Hughes fits Palace’s transfer strategy perfectly in terms of lowering the average age of the squad – but Hughes is far from a breakout novice. Boasting an impressive tally of 77 Premier League appearances, the seasoned Watford midfielder is no stranger to competing in the upper echelon of English football.

The deeper-lying operator has managed to score five goals and set up a further eight in his league career, averaging 28.61 passes per match and a tackle success rate just shy of the 60% mark. His 14 yellow cards and 126 fouls committed adds further credence to his combative nature, albeit through the medium of the so-called ‘dark arts’ of football.

In the 19/20 season against Manchester United, Hughes put in an exemplary performance that underlined his core ability. Hughes covered 11.4 kilometres at Old Trafford adding to the 609 passes he made that season to date, as well as the 5 accurate through balls in that game alone. [Premier League News Now]

Hughes impressed at Old Trafford

With a penchant for the occasional goal contribution, Hughes certainly fills the mould of a McCarthy-esque warrior. Prized for his aggression and doggedness, he holds a preference to break up play before driving the ball onwards in transitions.

With the Ireland international having departed for boyhood Celtic on a free transfer, he could be a ready-made younger upgrade on the ex-Everton man and could complement existing yet vastly differing options in Conor Gallagher, Jairo Riedewald and Cheikhou Kouyate. Indeed, he shares traits with all three Palace stars.

Tenacity, aggression and progressive vision – Hughes could yet hum as a silent engine deep in the heart of the Eagles’ midfield.

What is the state of play regarding Hughes’ future?

Hughes finds himself imprisoned in a curious impasse with Watford, his parent club. He is within the final twelve months of his current Hornets deal and has no intention of extending his stay with Xisco Munoz’ side.

Consequently, he has been banished to the side’s under-23s along with fellow contract rebel Nathaniel Chalobah as they languish away from their usual first-team spots with one eye on a move.

Watford have already signed Peter Etebo, Juraj Kucka, Imran Louza, and Ozan Tufan as midfield reinforcements this transfer window, almost certainly to counteract the loss of quality that is a natural consequence of their treatment of Hughes and Chalobah.

Regardless, their confinement away from the spotlight of the Premier League is a sure-fire signal of intent from both the club and the players that their future lies elsewhere, and their peripheral position renders them as unwanted – and thus available – assets.

How did Hughes emerge into Premier League stardom?

Although a cursory glance at his Wikipedia page would suggest he is a man of Surrey – having been born in the leafy town of Weybridge – Hughes grew up in Derbyshire.

His family swapped the southeast for Derby at the age of two. He attended Repton School, a boarding school in Derbyshire on a sports scholarship in a fine indication of the burgeoning potential that shone through even in boyhood.

After brief spells on the youth books of Derby’s rivals, Nottingham Forest, and Mickleover Jubilee, his career soon blossomed.

Hughes worked his way through youth football before being afforded a chance to shine at Derby County, making his professional debut in 2011. He made 187 appearances for the Midlands side, before a career-defining move to Vicarage Road in 2017.

Hughes has 23 caps at England’s U21 level

Once seen as a wonderkid, Hughes certainly fulfilled his potential up to a point having featured heavily for both Watford and Derby. Before his 2017 transfer to Watford under Marco Silva’s auspices, he was a target for Manchester United and was an established youth international for England at the point of his Hertfordshire move.

With almost 300 senior appearances to his name across both the EFL and the Premier League, he is cemented as an established and home-grown name.

What next for Hughes?

Hughes’ contract conundrum was certainly advantageous from a Palace perspective, but the Eagles were not alone in looking to take advantage of the ball-carrier’s situation.

Indeed, fellow Premier League side Burnley were said to be keeping a keen eye on Hughes and were contemplating matching Palace’s interest with a similar bid.

Hughes battling with Nemanja Matic of Manchester United

One way or another, Hughes will surely be donning different colours to the yellow and black that Watford fans and football aficionados at large have been accustomed to seeing him wear within the next year.

There was something poetic about a Hughes-less Watford team proving to be the Eagles’ undoing in yet another early Carabao Cup exit for the south Londoners.

With Palace all but certain to have taken advantage of the one-time star Hornet’s situation, Patrick Vieira could have the last laugh as his side secures the ex-Derby prodigy for a discounted fee.

❤️ 💙

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