Sources: Watford star Cleverley opens talks over new-three-year deal
Watford midfielder Tom Cleverley is close to agreeing a new three-year contract, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.
The 31-year-old was instrumental in helping the Hornets win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
A source at Vicarage Road has told Football Insider that the club are keen to tie the former Manchester United man down to a new long-term deal.
They see his experience and guile as vital to their chances of establishing themselves in the Premier League once again.
Cleverley is entering the final year of his contract and Watford are in talks about extending it until 2024.
The centre-midfielder made 34 Championship appearances in the 2020-21 campaign and contributed four goals and two assists.
His performances helped the Hornets finish second in the Championship behind Norwich, who also returned to the English top flight at the first time of asking.
Watford signed Cleverley from Everton for a fee of £8million in July 2017 and he has made 147 appearances for the club since.
The Manchester United academy product has also enjoyed spells at Aston Villa, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City in a career that has spanned 13 years.
Despite playing almost the entirety of his career in the Premier League, Cleverley said leaving Watford 'never crossed his mind' when the club suffered relegation in 2020.
He is one of a number of key players at Vicarage Road whose contract expires next year.
Will Hughes, Andre Gray, Nathaniel Chalobah and Francisco Sierralta are also fast approaching the final 12 months of their current deals.