The January transfer window for Watford was eventful, albeit considerably underwhelming in the eyes of many supporters. The Hornets lost stars such as Etienne Capoue and Gerard Deulofeu permanently. Creative midfielder Domingos Quina was questionably loaned out, and James Garner and Glenn Murray saw their loans terminated. The highly-covered arrivals were Philip Zinckernagel, Rob Elliot, and Dan Gosling. However, this is far from all of how Watford transfers played out last month.
Watford Transfers Highly Under-Reported: A Signature, Departure, and Retention
The Signature
Watford signed central-midfielder Henry Ochieng. The 22-year-old’s short-term contract signals he is primarily a youth-team player/experiment. What is notable, however, is his previous experience at the senior level.
Although the club signed him to play matches for the Hornets’ U23 squad, the player has the credentials to compete for first-team minutes. His senior debut, which came with Leyton Orient, was in 2016. Last season for Irish first-tier side Cork City, Ochieng appeared 19 times.
If the Hornets ever need to look deep into their midfield ranks, Ochieng is an under-the-radar player who can get the job done if necessary.
The Departure
The deadline day exit of Quina on loan to Granada CF caught the attention of Watford fans. As a result, one of Watford’s brightest youth prospect’s impressive loan did not garner wide recognition.
Djibril Toure, a highly-rated 18-year-old from Guinea who Watford signed in the summer, has been loaned out to Charleroi SC in the Belgian first-tier. Toure is yet to play in a competitive European match. The fact Watford were able to loan him out to a club in a respectable top-flight speaks volumes about the future the young attacker has. Loans like this do not come to those without having previously earned notable plaudits.
The Retention
Isaac Success was a wanted man on deadline day. A host of clubs from La Liga and the Championship inquired about his signature, according to the Watford Observer. No departure materialised.
Success joined Watford in 2016 from Granada CF for £13.5 million, and thus he was the club’s most-expensive signing at the time. Frequent injuries, and sometimes off-pitch antics, have interrupted his time in England. Watford’s striking department is struggling to find the back of the net from open play. With the 25-year-old set to return in the next few weeks, Success will be in line for some opportunities to stake his claim for significant minutes.
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