Watford in talks to appoint Niels Frederiksen as head coach

Watford are in talks to appoint Niels Frederiksen as their new head coach.

Frederiksen is currently in post at Lech Poznan, where he has won back-to-back Polish titles, and the Hornets are interested in bringing him to Vicarage Road.

The 55-year-old Dane is out of contract this summer, so would be available without the need to pay any compensation, and sources state that discussions are being held with a view to him becoming Ed Still's successor.

Having also led a Brondby side that featured a number of young players to the Danish title in 2021, Frederiksen has been a top-flight champion in three of his last four completed seasons.

He was previously manager of Denmark Under-21s between 2015-19, before landing one of the biggest club jobs in the country - and then moving to Poland in 2024.

His Poznan side progressed to the knock-out stages of this season's Europa Conference League, where they were beaten by eventual semi-finalists Shakhtar Donetsk in the last 16.

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Frederiksen has previously used 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 systems, while he has also adopted 4-4-2 at times with Poznan.

He would become Gino Pozzo's 24th permanent appointment since buying the club in 2012, after a season in which three head coaches took charge.

Club chairman Scott Duxbury revealed last week that the Hornets hopes to identify their preferred choice by the end of this week.

He said: "It's a very detailed process.

"It's not so much learning about the coach. Our requirements are clear, we want somebody with experience, somebody who has won previously, who knows how to navigate a long championship season and achieve the goals that we're setting.

"It's more about that individual also understanding the composition of our squad, coming in and not being surprised that 'I haven't got this, I haven't got that, I didn't realise they were this age'.

"So they really know the detail of our players, our squad and is excited about being able to develop those players.

"There's been lots of talk about culture within the first-team setup and that's one of the characteristics we want from the coach. Someone who's going to really control that dressing room and lead what we want and expect from the players.

"It's super important that the new coach comes in and sets his mark.

"He's the one that controls that dressing room and we make sure he has a mix of players he believes will achieve his objectives, the first being exciting, committed football that we can all enjoy."