With 55 minutes on the clock in Morocco’s World Cup stalemate with Spain Nordin Amrabat took aim from range.

His swerving effort left David de Gea -Perhaps the game’s best keeper - rooted to the spot and smacked off the bar, summing up in a microcosm a tournament of what ifs for the Watford winger.

Morocco would go on to draw the game 2-2 with the 2010 World champions and ultimately be sent home from Russia bottom of group B and without a win to their name.

That is not to say the brief stay at football’s biggest tournament hasn’t been without its highlights, not least for Amrabat.

The 31-year-old has undoubtedly been his country’s best player in Russia, starring in each of Morocco’s games and offering a timely reminder of his talents to those at Vicarage Road.

Only concussion could stop the wide-man, who has played as both a winger and right-back in Russia, in Morocco’s opener against Iran when he was a consistent attacking threat.

Five days later, and in slightly foolhardy fashion, Amrabat would go against FIFA’s concussion rules and impress once more in a narrow 1-0 loss to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

Watford Observer:

Amrabat played with protective headgear against Portugal.

He completed his trio of personal successes on Monday night to give the Spain defence a number of problems.

With this in mind, a return to Vicarage Road for Amrabat has been the subject of much speculation, with supporters particularly keen to get reacquainted with their former number seven.

His departure last summer was greeted with little enthusiasm by Marco Silva and his anger was proven to be well-placed as Watford struggled for wide options.

Silva described the decision to sanction a loan to Leganes as “dangerous” and a likewise call this year would surely represent a similar failing.

Granted, judging a player on a World Cup alone is always a dangerous approach and the emotion of playing for your country often sees players reach new levels.

Amrabat, however, has done enough in the best part of a year since he left Watford to suggest he would be a useful asset to the Hornets’ cause.

He made 34 appearances across all competitions for Leganes in 2018/19, scoring three goals in the process, and regularly played an important role for the La Liga side.

Never regarded as a regular goalscorer, that return represents his best since scoring six in 2014/15 and Amrabat also provided a useful versatility at Leganes - even playing as a forward on occasion.

It is also telling that Amrabat’s best campaign in front of goal came while playing for Malaga under current Watford head coach Javi Gracia.

The pair spent a season and a half together on Spain’s south coast, and it was under Gracia where Amrabat earned his move to the Premier League with Watford.

It could well be that linking up with Gracia will allow Amrabat to carry the form of his summer exploits into the new season and provide the Spanish boss with more wide options.

His chances of being a regular starter may be restricted by the arrival of Gerard Deulofeu, who is likely to start on the right-hand side for Watford.

But, as a rotation option, Amrabat offers plenty and would come without the financial burden of the reported £15 million required to turn Peru’s Andre Carrillo into a permanent Watford asset.

Carrillo, too, has looked sharp at the World Cup, offering flashes of quality, but such an outlay is a hefty one for a midfielder who only performed in fits and starts while on loan last term.

Of course, it could be that Gino Pozzo opts to cash in on Amrabat rather than keep a player who has one year left on his contract at the club.

Allowing any player to leave for free is viewed as a cardinal sin these days when finances often dictate success in the modern game.

Amrabat’s displays in Russia will have added to the temptation to sell, with the eyes of the world and those of a plethora of scouts trained on the tournament.

Such performances will have added to his value, but resisting the temptation to sell and reintegrating a player with plenty to offer could, if Watford are looking to make genuine progress on the pitch next season, be the favourable approach.