Going into the January transfer window, Watford needed to heavily focus on their defence, whereas the attack only needed slight tweaking. Samir, Hassane Kamara, and Edo Kayembe have all signed to sure up the back half of the pitch. Now, the Hornets have turned their attention to the attacking ranks, with Samuel Kalu reportedly completing a move to Vicarage Road.
Watford Set to Sign Samuel Kalu
Clarification Brought to Contradicting Reports
A few days ago, news outlets from France and England contradicted each other, with the French outlets claiming Kalu was on his way to England, while English media reported there was not much substance to the rumours. The Hornets were not thought to be after another winger. But, whether it be due to Ismaila Sarr’s unknown injury timetable or other reasons, that transfer stance seems to have changed.
Adam Leventhal of The Athletic corroborated the reports from France, stating that a medical will be completed within the next couple of days to finalise Kalu’s transfer from Bordeaux to Watford. The fee is expected to be in the region of £3 million, with his contract set to run through the summer of 2026.
What Samuel Kalu Will Bring to Vicarage Road
Despite already having a formidable attack with Sarr, Joshua King, Emmanuel Dennis, Joao Pedro, and Cucho Hernandez, bringing in Kalu adds further starting competition and depth in the front line. With Sarr still injured, Kalu may be seen as an ideal option to start on the right-wing for the Hornets if they are to opt for a tactical change and line up in a 4-4-2. Regardless of whether Claudio Ranieri elects to alter his current system, Kalu is an undeniable upgrade in terms of depth and will push the starting eleven.
The 24-year-old winger has only played 323 Ligue 1 minutes this season, but he has still scored one goal and provided one assist. Last campaign, he found the back of the net four times in 20 appearances. He initially signed for Bordeaux in a roughly £8 million transfer from KAA Gent in the summer of 2018, following a six-goal, eight-assist campaign, averaging one goal contribution every 167 minutes.
The winger plays with intense energy and is well-adept to counterattacking football – which is ideal for Ranieri – as he was in the 93rd percentile for successful dribbles amongst Ligue 1 wingers and attacking-midfielders last season.
His immediate role at Vicarage Road remains to be seen, but if he can be integrated into the squad quickly, the Hornets might have found themselves yet another attacking gem who could help fire them to safety.
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