[themaclad]

Watford striker Kwadwo Baah has signed a new five-year contract with the Championship club.

The 21-year old scored a goal on his Watford debut in a Carabao Cup tie against MK Dons on 13 August.

He played his first Championship game four days later and has gone on to make six further league appearances, including his first start against Preston at the beginning of this month.

The German came off the bench to score his first league goal - a late winner against Middlesbrough - in Watford's last match.
Baah said his new deal, which runs until the end of the 2028-29 season, "is a great achievement" and had "probably achieved more than I expected" in his time at the club so far.

"Obviously, there's more to come," he added.

"I got my first goal in the Championship and I'm aiming for bigger and better things, to try to push Watford towards the play-offs or even better."

Hornets head coach Tom Cleverley has warned against expecting too much from Baah, who was signed from Rochdale in July 2021 and has had loans with Fortuna Dusseldorf in Germany and Burton in League One over the last two seasons.

"It starts with attitude for me when I'm thinking about the biggest change KB has made to his game," Cleverley told the club website., external

"It's a mindset that's been rewarded. He deserves what we're seeing on the pitch now.

"We’re thrilled to have him secured here for a longer period of time."

[themaclad]

Watford have signed defender James Abankwah on loan from Italian Serie A club Udinese for the remainder of the season.

The 21-year-old is the latest in a long line of players to make the move between the two sides, who are both owned by the Pozzo family.

Abankwah has featured 10 times for Udinese since joining them from League of Ireland side St Patrick's Athletic in January 2022.

Eight of those appearances have come this season for the mid-table Serie A club, with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international spending time on loan with Charlton in League One last season.

He managed just three appearances for the London club before being recalled.

Watford boss Tom Cleverley said Abankwah "is a real promising addition to the squad".

"He brings us speed, physicality, and I can see he values the art of defending," Cleverley told the club website., external

"We identified him as a player that is the perfect profile for what we are missing.

"He is one that the Udinese manager actually was quite desperate to keep, but we feel like he can add more value to us, and I am pleased he has come and joined us."

[themaclad]

Watford have signed goalkeeper Egil Selvik from Italian 'sister club' Udinese for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old Norway international had only recently joined Udinese from Haugesund but has now agreed a three-and-a-half-year contract at Vicarage Road.

He will plug the gap caused by Daniel Bachmann's ankle ligament injury, which has ruled him out for up to three months.

Selvik made his first Norway start against Scotland in November 2023 and has so far won four international caps.

He joins a Watford side currently ninth in the Championship ahead of Saturday's lunchtime kick-off against Norwich City, three points outside the play-off places.

[themaclad]

Angelo Ogbonna will be released by Watford at the end of his contract next month.

The Italy international defender signed a one-year deal with the Hornets last summer after he was allowed to leave West Ham United following nine seasons in east London.

Ogbonna, 36, made just eight appearances this season and was the biggest name to be released when the club announced its retained list.

The centre-back began his career at Torino and, after two seasons with Juventus, joined West Ham in 2015, making 249 appearances for the Hammers.

Watford announced that Vakoun Bayo and Yasser Larouci will also return to their parent clubs, Udinese and Troyes respectively, while under-21 striker Jonathan Lawson has been offered a new contract.

[themaclad]

Watford have signed goalkeeper Nathan Baxter on a two-year deal after his contract expired with Bolton Wanderers.

The 26-year-old made 72 appearances in two seasons with the Trotters, including the 2023-24 League One play-off final, after joining from Chelsea in June 2023.

He becomes the second Hornets signing of the summer after former Peterborough midfielder Hector Kyprianou penned a five-year deal.

"I knew about the club's interest last season and as soon as the season finished they wanted to meet me," Baxter told the club website, external.

"I had a great conversation with the goalkeeping coach and a great conversation with [Watford sporting director] Gianluca [Nani] and they really sold what they saw in me and where they see my career going."

But he did not make a senior appearance for the Blues after signing a professional contract in 2016.

Instead he was loaned out to seven clubs, latterly Scottish side Ross County, Accrington Stanley and Hull City, where he spent two seasons before joining Bolton.

"I think this is the perfect platform to be able to show people what I can do," he added.

[themaclad]

Watford have signed former Middlesbrough defender Marc Bola on a free transfer from Turkish Super Lig side Samsunspor.

The 27-year-old, who joins on a three-year deal, started his career at Arsenal but moved on to Blackpool before spending four seasons in the Championship at Boro.

Bola did not make a first-team appearance during his time with the Gunners but after leaving Middlesbrough for Turkey in 2023 he helped Samsunspor qualify for next season's Europa League for the first time in their history.

"We really want to get promoted as a team, we've got big plans and I'm just happy to be on board," Bola told the Watford website.

"I have unfinished business in this league and I feel like this is the right club to be a part of to achieve that goal."