Watford pursuing Quique Flores to replace manager

Despite winning promotion to the Premier League, numerous reports are that Watford are ready to replace manager Slavisa Jokanovic with highly-rated Spaniard Quique Flores set to replace him at Vicarage Road.

Jokanovic, a Serbian, has been manager of Watford for under a year, joining in October of 2014 after previous spells at Hercules and Levski Sofia. He was appointed at a time of turmoil as the fourth Watford head coach in five weeks, but managed to stabilize the Hornets and achieve promotion with one game to spare this season. The manager is without Premier League managerial experience, but did have a two year stint as a footballer at Chelsea in the league over a decade ago.

His potential replacement, if media reports are to be believed, is a man with a plethora of experience in top flight soccer. Quique Flores has an extensive playing career at Valencia and Real Madrid, before managerial stints at Valencia, Benfica and Atletico Madrid, winning the Europa League with the latter club. Most recently, after coaching in the Middle East, he has been jobless since leaving Getafe in February for personal reasons. Though Flores certainly has an impressive managerial resume for a man of only 50, the sacking of Jokanovic may come as a shock to many followers of the North London club.

Flores was recently rumored to be close to a Premier League position as manager of West Bromwich Albionbefore the Midlands club eventually gave Pepe Mel control, so the idea of taking charge of a club tasked with Premier League survival is not out of the realm of possibility, with many reporting a formal approach has already been made to the Spaniard.

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