Watford supporters won’t be the only ones excitedly anticipating news of new recruits as the summer transfer season has started.
Once summer arrives, fans of every club at almost every level in the country get obsessed with transfers.
It is possible that there are hundreds of murmurs, whispers, and outright guesses for every deal that is actually consummated.
Here, we reflect on a few of the players Watford has brought in throughout past summer transfer windows and how their tenure at Vicarage Road has transpired.
September 2020 – Francisco Sierralta
The Chilean international madedebut for the Hornets, his 88th-minute free-kick as Watford came Udinese and Granada prior to the Hornets paying approximately £300,000 for his services.
It took him some time debut for the Hornets, his 88th-minute free-kick as Watford came promotion in December, he became an indispensable member of the defence.
Sierralta played in just five Premier League games as Watford immediately regressed, then another eighteen in 22–23.
Before Jake Livermore made a claim for the No. 6 position last season, Valerien Ismael used him, and as a result, the defender saw 27 more league games.
That has seemingly cost him his place for his country as he didn’t feature in their World Cup qualifiers last year and hasn’t made it into the squad for the current Copa America.
Four years and 88 appearances later, could the defender with the man-bun potentially head towards the exit this summer?
July 2018 – Ken Sema
There aren’t many players on the current squad who the fans like as much as Sema, aka King Ken.
The Swedish international, who moved from Ostersunds to Vicarage Road six years ago, is now the second-longest player in Hornet history behind Dan Bachmann.
In his first season, Sema featured in just nine Premier League games and only ever finished a full 90 minutes once. After that, he was loaned—possibly predictably—to Udinese, where he participated in 32 Serie A matches and netted a few goals during the 19/20 season.
.The Swede was ready to quit Watford permanently at that moment, as he recently revealed to the Watford Observer, but the team chose to keep him, and he became a regular member of the promotion-winning 20/21 squad with 41 goals.
Again his opportunities were limited in the top division and he started only seven Premier League games, but then bounced back to register 40 Championship outings and five goals in 22/23.
Last season Sema had his worst run of injuries since coming to Vicarage Road, but made 29 outings and with another year on his contract plus the club having an option to extend it, he’s likely to be a key member of Tom Cleverley’s squad.
August 2017 – Andre Gray
The weight of an £18million transfer fee, having played for Luton and only scoring twice before Christmas in his first season meant Gray was trying to push water up a hill to win over the Hornets faithful from very early on in his time at Vicarage Road.
The striker scored five in 31 Premier League games in that first season, but never looked totally at home.
However, his second season saw a slightly better return of seven goals in 29 league games, and his performances in the run to the FA Cup Final possibly don’t get the credit they deserve.
His goals against Newcastle and Crystal Palace were crucial, and it was his pass that set up Gerard Deulofeu for the extra-time winner in the semi-final at Wembley.
But the 2019/20 campaign probably put the writing on the wall for Gray, as he scored just twice in the first half of the season and then spent most of the rest of the time one the bench as Watford headed for relegation.
The goals didn’t flow for him as the Hornets won promotion the following year, and Gray spent 2021/22 on loan with QPR in the Championship, scoring ten in 30 games.
Gray was then allowed to join Greek side Aris Salonika on a free transfer and scored 13 times in 39 appearances, including five in four Europa Conference League qualifiers.
A year ago he moved to Saudi Arabia and scored seven times in 28 games for Al-Riyadh, who finished 14th in the 18-team league.
July 2015 – Steven Berghuis
When a club turns over as many players as Watford have in the last decade or so, there are going to be some w
But the 2019/20 campaign probably put the writing on the wall for Gray, as he scored just twice in the first half of the season and then spent most of the rest of the time one the bench as Watford headed for relegation.
The goals didn’t flow for him as the Hornets won promotion the following year, and Gray spent 2021/22 on loan with QPR in the Championship, scoring ten in 30 games.
Gray was then allowed to join Greek side Aris Salonika on a free transfer and scored 13 times in 39 appearances, including five in four Europa Conference League qualifiers.
A year ago he moved to Saudi Arabia and scored seven times in 28 games for Al-Riyadh, who finished 14th in the 18-team league.
July 2015 – Steven Berghuis
But the 2019/20 campaign probably put the writing on the wall for Gray, as he scored just twice in the first half of the season and then spent most of the rest of the time one the bench as Watford headed for relegation.
The goals didn’t flow for him as the Hornets won promotion the following year, and Gray spent 2021/22 on loan with QPR in the Championship, scoring ten in 30 games.
Gray was then allowed to join Greek side Aris Salonika on a free transfer and scored 13 times in 39 appearances, including five in four Europa Conference League qualifiers.
A year ago he moved to Saudi Arabia and scored seven times in 28 games for Al-Riyadh, who finished 14th in the 18-team league.
July 2015 – Steven Berghuis
When a club turns over as many players as Watford have in the last decade or so, there are going to be some who outstay their welcome, and others who may have been allowed to slip through the net.
Dutchman Steven Berghuis is one of those who appears to fall into the latter category.
Signed from AZ Alkmaar for €6.5million in summer 2015, his arrival may have gone under the radar somewhat given he followed the signings of Valon Behrami and Etienne Capoue.
He featured five times in the first nine Premier League games, but never for any longer than 26 minutes, and he was restricted to just half an hour from the bench in the Carabao Cup tie away at Preston.
His sole start for Watford came at Newcastle in a 1-0 FA Cup Third Round win in January 2016, and he then had a run of four consecutive appearances as substitute for the last half an hour towards the end of the league season.
So, a combined total of just 327 minutes in Watford colours, but the clue as to what Berghuis might be capable of – given his lack of time and overall impact at Vicarage Road – was that he picked up three full international caps for Holland during that season.
However, he was loaned to Feyenoord in summer 2016 and registered 29 appearances and eight goals as they won the Eredivisie for the first time since 1999.
Berghuis made the move permanent a year later with Watford receiving the same fee they had paid Alkmaar
, and went on to play some 200 games for Feyenoord, winning a Dutch Cup and scoringhttps://sportupdates.co.uk/ 87 goals plus assisting in a further 64.
His international career flourished, and he played in four of Holland’s five games at the 2022 World Cup Finals in Qatar.
The forward joined Ajax for €5.5m in July 2021, and has since scored 31 times in 177 appearances while taking his international caps to a total of 46.
July 2012 – Almen Abdi
Has there been a better signing during the Pozzo ownership, pound for pound, than that of the mercurial Swiss international?
The ‘Professor’ had already spent a season on loan at Vicarage Road before making the move permanent in 2013, and he went on to make a total of 131 largely faultless performances in Watford colours in total.
Abdi scored on his debut for the Hornets, his 88th-minute free-kick as Watford came from 2-1 down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park being a sign of things to come.
He went on to register 12 goals as the Hornets made it all the way to the Play-Off Final before losing, ironically, to Palace.
The loan from Udinese was turned into a permanent transfer in July 2013, but injury blighted him in 13/14 and he managed only 13 Championship appearances.
But the following season Abdi pulleddebut for the Hornets, his 88th-minute free-kick as Watford came to the Championship was achieved. His two goals in a 5-0 away romp at Fulham in December 2014 were one of many highlights of Abdi’s time at
July 2012 – Almen Abdi
Has there been a better signing during the Pozzo ownership, pound for pound, than that of the mercurial Swiss international?
The ‘Professor’ had already spent a season on loan at Vicarage Road before making the move permanent in 2013, and he went on to make a total of 131 largely faultless performances in Watford colours in total.
Abdi scored on his debut for the Hornets, his 88th-minute free-kick as Watford came from 2-1 down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park being a sign of things to come.
He went on to register 12 goals as the Hornets made it all the way to the Play-Off Final before losing, ironically, to Palace.
The loan from Udinese was turned into a permanent transfer in July 2013, but injury blighted him in 13/14 and he managed only 13 Championship appearances.
But the following season Abdi pulled the strings and weighed in with nine league goals as promotion to the Championship was achieved. His two goals in a 5-0 away romp at Fulham in December 2014 were one of many highlights of Abdi’s time at
The midfielder looked totally at home in the top flight, and his two goals in 32 league games that season – away at Stoke and at home to Aston Villa – were both crackers.
After leaving Watford in summer 2016, Abdi went on to make 23 more Championship outings over two seasons for Sheffield Wednesday before retiring.
August 2011 – Jonathan Hogg
In perhaps the most famous piece of commentary associated with Watford, there is one four-letter surname that is generally overlooked in favour of the more famous name that followed.
Of course the reference is to the legendary ‘Here’s Hogg . . . DEENEY!’ moment from Sky Sports’ coverage of the 2013 play-off semi-final second leg victory over Leicester City at Vicarage Road.
Troy Deeney, quite rightly, gets the glory and recognition for his lethally-struck goal that day, but he would be the first to acknowledge the intelligent knock-down from Jonathan Hogg which created the strike.
The midfield player, who had previously spent time on loan at Darlington and Portsmouth, came to Watford on a free transfer from Aston Villa in the summer of 2011.
Hogg, who was little in height but bursting with activity, made 40 appearances during his debut season at Vicarage Road, giving the Hornets’ engine room more grit and a firm tackle.
After that, he made 42 more appearances the next season. Despite the fact that he was never able to score while wearing Watford colours, it is not surprising considering that he has only scored six goals in nearly 400 professional games.
In July 2013, Hogg moved from Watford to Huddersfield, where he established himself as a true fixture before agreeing to a one-year extension in early June.
He’ll doubtless look to add to his 378 appearances for them this coming season, with a 400th outing for Huddersfield and 500th career appearance well within his reach.
August 2005 – Darius Henderson
August 2005 – Darius Henderson
If ever there were a player signed to suit a manager’s style of play, then it was when Watford paid Gillingham £450,000 for Darius Henderson at the start of Aidy Boothroyd’s first full season in charge at Vicarage Road.
They were match made in heaven – a big, strong, uncompromising centre forward who could lead the aerial assault, hold the ball up and chip in with goals.
Henderson made his debut a day after signing and scored in a 2-1 loss away at Preston.
But he and Marlon King immediately forged an alliance that alarmed the Championship defenders and propelled the Hornets up the standings.
He scored 14 goals in 30 league games during that 2005–06 promotion season, nine of which came from headers. At the Millennium Stadium, he also contributed to the victory over Leeds that propelled the Hornets back to the Premier League with a penalty.
Henderson, like the rest of the Watford team, struggled in the Premier League and didn’t score a goal until February.
Following their relegation, Henderson and the Hornets both thrived once again. With 12 goals in 40 league games, Henderson gave them another chance at the play-offs, but Hull defeated them in two legs in the semifinal.
Henderson joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2008 for a cost of £2 million. He later played for Millwall, Nottingham Forest, and Leyton Orient in his career, which saw him make close to 500 games in the professional ranks before he retired in 2017.
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