We are delighted to confirm the signature of striker Joshua King! The Norway international has agreed a two-year contract with a club option for a further season.
Busy afternoon - 3 signings! Hopefully they are a success - not in a Issac way. One on loan and another two free transfers so least we aren't wasting money as such.
Palace fans not happy! Maybe Zaha won't be there by then... And as one fan works out Capoue has left and guess they mean Holebas? https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/07/...us-about-club-announcement-involving-watford/
Adalberto Peñaranda has agreed to join Spanish side Las Palmas on a season-long loan for the 2021/22 campaign.
Academy captain and Player of the Season Bosun Lawal is apparently joining Celtic today, after successfully passing a medical yesterday.
Bosun Lawal (18 years old) was in the academy for only two years after signing from St. Kevins Boys in Ireland. He was captain of the U-18 team and Player of the Season (as Bolton's Boots wrote). Adam Leventhal reports that Watford wanted to keep him, but initially offered him only a one year contract with the option of a one year extension. Then they made an improved offer, which he rejected and opted to sign for Celtic. Celtic will pay compensation ranging from £120,000 to £150,000 (depending on which source one reads). Watford Academy has lost during the past few months: Romari Forde to Arsenal Tomas Galvez to Manchester City James Debayo to Leeds Utd. Bosun Lawal to Celtic So many good players leaving in a short period suggests that all may not be right with the Academy. Is there any point in maintaining an Academy if all the brightest talent is going to be pinched by other clubs? I hope that Jimmy Gilligan and Richard Johnson will be able to address the problem. Or perhaps the better option could be to go the way of clubs like Brentford and Birmingham, who have abolished their academies and created 'B' teams.
With football being not much more than a business these days, it may well eventually come to that at some future point - but at what cost? If all, or most, clubs were to make that decision, what would happen to the pathway to a career for youngsters? They surely can't all spend their days aimlessly milling around the training grounds of the likes of Man City. All it may actually take to stop much of the flow of players elsewhere is a change to the rules that can see big clubs 'steal' youngsters from lower clubs for a pittance - but if players want to leave, there's not a lot clubs can do about it. That's true for juniors right up to the most senior of seniors. We've had a few successes over the years, if you go back to pre-Academy days - the likes of Blissett, Callaghan, Jackett etc - but not too many recently. Most of our recent Academy graduates go on to have a reasonable career lower down the League pyramid, which helps football in general. Likewise, we offer young players from lower League clubs a chance to play at a higher level - off the top of my head, we've given four that opportunity this close season - so it's to be expected that some of 'our own' want to leave in order to test themselves at a higher level than we can offer. Or just for a bigger salary.
An interesting read on our nine new players. https://watfordopinions.com/2021/07...f-watfords-first-nine-signings-of-the-summer/
