Nestory Irankunda: Fiorentina track Watford’s Australia-Tanzania winger in £8m move

Fiorentina are being linked with a move for Watford’s Australia-Tanzania right winger Nestory Irankunda, 20, as the Serie A side assess wide options ahead of next season.

The Championship club’s attacker, born in Kigoma, Tanzania and holding dual Australian and Tanzanian nationality, is currently valued at €8.00m (£6.8m) on Transfermarkt, a figure seen as a useful reference point in early speculation surrounding his future. The rumour, first logged on 3 July 2026, lists a probability of “?” with no indication yet of how advanced any talks might be.

Irankunda, who wears shirt number 66 for Watford and stands at 1.75m, is primarily deployed as an attacking right winger and is right-footed. His contract situation is unclear, with no expiry date recorded; that has fuelled suggestions in Italy that he could move on favourable terms, and that a free-agent scenario in the medium term cannot be ruled out if no extension is agreed.

Recent form has kept scouts interested. In Watford’s latest Championship outing – a 1-1 home draw against [opponent], played on July 3, 2026, Irankunda started on the right flank, completed the full 90 minutes and was involved in several of his side’s best attacking moments, including a driven effort tipped wide in the second half. It is the sort of direct, high-intensity performance that has drawn attention from abroad.

Irankunda only turned 20 on 9 February 2026, underlining why Fiorentina view him as a long-term project rather than a ready-made star. Having already experienced senior football in England’s second tier, a step into Serie A would represent a significant tactical and cultural shift.

If a move to Florence does materialise, it could prove a pivotal stage in Irankunda’s development, offering a bigger platform to shape his reputation and unlock the potential that has made him one of Watford’s most closely watched young talents.