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George Bello is a name that has been heavily rumored to be making a big move across the pond this offseason, and now The Telegraph is reporting the first bona fide link — interest from Claudio Ranieri’s Watford FC.
The former Premier League-winning manager took over Watford in October and The Telegraph reports the Italian is looking to add competition at left back. Bello is one option for The Bees, as is Arsenal fullback Sead Kolasinac on a potential loan move.
Atlanta United has braced themselves ahead of time for the potential departure of a player in Bello who accrued over 2,500 league minutes last season by signing American left back Andrew Gutman from Celtic. Gutman was then sent on loan to New York Red Bulls last season where he acclimated to the league and established himself as one of the team’s top performers. He announced his goodbyes to the club earlier this month.
Thank you @NewYorkRedBulls the fans, players and staff all made me feel welcomed from day one. I’ve made memories here that will last a lifetime. I wish everyone involved with the club nothing but the best in the future! New York will always be Red ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/YlG7miDepM
— Andrew Gutman (@_andrewgutman_) December 21, 2021
As for Bello, Atlanta United Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra told media after the season that the player has generated quite a bit of interest due to his performance in the league at such a young age. We can safely assume there are more teams than just Watford who’ve expressed interest in Bello to Atlanta’s front office, but it’s nice to see some formal reporting.
It would be an impressive move for Bello — not just for making a move to the Premier League, but for an opportunity to play under one of the more prestigious coaches on the continent who has managed some of the world’s biggest teams and players.
And according to this guy, Bello looks well in the clear to receive a work permit.
For a UK work visa Bello needs to net at least 15 FA GBE points:
— Andrew Visnovsky (@AndrewVisnovsky) December 27, 2021
For MLS minutes (79.5% of ATL’s total) he nets 10-11;
For CCL (100% of ATL’s total) he nets 2;
For USMNT (~22% of MNT’s total) if their world ranking is 11-20, he nets 9 pts.
which gives him minimum 21 points. https://t.co/EazXjUncA0
Would you like to see Bello at Watford? Would it be a good move?