Watford signing this 29-year-old goalkeeper for £8.6m would be an excellent bargain and here is why

Watford Opinion: Hornets complete the signing of Robin Olsen from Roma

According to claims from Italian source Corriere dello Sport, Watford are preparing an
£8.6 million move for AS Roma shot-stopper Robin Olsen in the summer.

The same report claims that the 29-year-old Swedish international is also a target for Bournemouth, as well as Championship high-flyers Norwich City.

Olsen made his move to the Stadio Olimpico from Danish club Copenhagen last summer following his impressive displays at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia where he played a key role in Sweden’s march to the quarter-finals.

He was expected to fill in the boots of Alisson, who joined Liverpool last summer, but the 29-year-old has come under criticism for some uncharacteristic errors between the sticks.

Claudio Ranieri, who took charge of Roma following his dismissal from Fulham, has relegated Olsen to bench duty in the Roma’s last four Serie A games and it looks likely that the Italian outfit will cash in on the goalkeeper come the end of the season.

Olsen, who has been capped by Sweden on 28 occasions at the senior international level, has managed only 4 clean sheets in 27 Serie A outings. That, however, hasn’t stopped the likes of Watford, Bournemouth and Norwich from weighing up a move for the 29-year-old hugely experienced goalkeeper.

To put things into perspective, Olsen would be a fantastic signing for either of the three aforementioned clubs but Watford should look to beat off competition from their Premier League rivals and have the final say in this transfer saga.

The Hornets are likely to be short of adequate cover in their options between the sticks following the retirement of Heurelho Gomes at the end of the season and Robin Olsen can certainly be looked upon as a viable alternative to fill in the void left by the departure of the long-standing Brazilian.

Ben Foster has been a standout performer for Javi Gracia’s side between the sticks in the Premier League this season following his move to Vicarage Road from West Brom last summer.

The 36-year-old has managed 7 clean sheets in the league and has been established himself as a reliable presence with the gloves but Watford still need to bring in another goalkeeper to maintain the balance of the squad and increase competition for places.

Olsen enjoyed a nomadic playing career in Sweden, featuring for the likes of Bunkeflo FF, IFK Klagshamn and Malmo before going on to play for Greek giants PAOK and Danish heavyweights Copenhagen. He also boasts of considerable Champions League and Europa League experience in his CV, which should a big positive for a club like Watford.

Standing at 6ft. 6 inches with a towering frame, Olsen has a good reach between the sticks and he uses his long hands to keep out shots from distance. He reads the game well, communicates very well with his defenders and presents himself as an authoritative figure inside the box more often than not.

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Watford are still very much in with a chance of securing a Europa League qualification spot and a strong end to the season would see European football return to Vicarage Road after an absence of more than three decades. Olsen knows what it takes to compete in Europe and his presence in the squad would undoubtedly be a massive boost for the Hornets.