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Watford are finally closing in on an agreement to sell Nestory Irankunda after weeks of back-and-forth with Sporting. Now the Championship club faces just one final hurdle before the deal can go through. For most of the summer, the two clubs have been locked in a battle over the transfer fee. That now looks to have changed. According to both A Bola and Record, Sporting and Watford have now reached common ground on the financial framework of the deal. This comes after both sides made concessions during negotiations. Sporting stuck to their position throughout the saga, refusing to go beyond €15m (£13m) in guaranteed money. However, the overall package is now expected to rise close to €20m (£17.3m) through performance-related bonuses. This is bringing the two clubs much closer to an agreement. Bayern now hold the key The biggest obstacle is no longer between Sporting and Watford. Instead, both Portuguese newspapers report that Watford are still trying to renegotiate the agreement they signed with Bayern Munich. This agreement was made when Irankunda arrived last summer. The Bundesliga club are entitled to 40% of any future transfer fee. Watford are now working to reduce that percentage before signing off on the deal. If successful, this will allow them to keep a much bigger share of the money. In other words, the final green light now depends more on talks between England and Germany. It depends less on anything Sporting still have to negotiate. Deal now entering the final stretch Both A Bola and Record say Irankunda’s side of the deal has been sorted for some time. The Australian is set to sign a five-year contract running until 2031. If Watford can wrap up their discussions with Bayern, the winger is expected to travel to Lisbon straight away for his medical. After that, he will complete the transfer. There is also growing confidence in Portugal that the move can finally be wrapped up before the end of the week. According to Record, Watford are keen to complete the sale because they need the transfer income. They need it in order to strengthen their own squad before the window closes. Watford transfer saga heading towards its conclusion So after weeks of delays, changing momentum and plenty of frustration on all sides, the saga finally appears to be moving towards a conclusion. The agreement between Sporting and Watford is largely in place. Now it is up to Watford and Bayern to clear the final obstacle. They must do this before Irankunda can make the move he has wanted throughout the summer. | Championship 25/26 | | |---|---| | Appearances | 40 | | Goals | 4 | | Assists | 4 | | Minutes | 2031 | | Yellow Cards | 12 |