2021/22 Premier League Preview – Watford
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Watford are back in the big time following a one-year absence. With an exciting young manager at the helm, the Hornets will be looking to cause a stir in the Premier League this season.
- Manager: Xisco
- Stadium: Vicarage Road
- Last Season: 2nd (Championship)
Watford were promoted to the Premier League in 2015 and spent five straight seasons in England’s top flight before suffering relegation in 2020.
But following just a single season in the Championship, the Hornet will be eager to learn from past mistakes and cement their place in the Premier League this time around.
• What Happened Last Season?
The Hornets parted ways with Vladimir Ivic just before Christmas and brought in Xisco to replace him. The rest, as they say, is history.
The Spaniard lost just six of his 27 games in charge of Watford last season, picking up 18 wins and three draws in the process. As a result, he guided the club to automatic promotion.
With a win record of 66.67% at Watford, a lot will be expected of Xisco this year. Let’s see what he can do!
• Players In
- Imran Louza – FC Nantes (£9.00m)
- Emmanuel Dennis – Club Brugge (£3.60m)
- Mattie Pollock – Grimsby Town (£0.27m)
- Danny Rose – Tottenham Hotspur (Free)
- Ashley Fletcher – Middlesbrough (Free)
- Joshua King – Everton (Free)
- Kwadwo Baah – Rochdale United (Undisclosed)
Imran Louza is the big-money signing at Watford this summer, arriving from Nantes for £9m. The France U21 international tallied 66 first-team appearances for Nantes, notching 12 goals and six assists.
The free signings of Danny Rose, Ashley Fletcher and Joshua King could prove to be extremely shrewd transfers, too.
• Players Out
- Craig Dawson– West Ham United (£2.07m)
- Ben Wilmot – Stoke City (£1.58m)
- Jorge Segura – CD America (Loan)
- Adalberto Penaranda – UD Las Palmas (Loan)
- Achraf Lazaar – Released
- Carlos Sanchez – Released
- Jerome Sinclair – Released
Having spent last season on loan at the London Stadium, Craig Dawson has signed a permanent deal with West Ham. Ben Wilmot has also left the club to team up with Stoke.
With two players going out on loan and three players getting released, Watford’s 2021/22 squad has a new look to it.
• Watford’s Key Player
Ismaila Sarr – The Senegal winger played a key role in Watford’s promotion push last term, bagging 13 goals and ten assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
Joao Pedro (9 goals, 4 assists) and Troy Deeney (7 goals, 3 assists) played their part, too. But Sarr has the ability to win games singlehandedly for the Hornets.
• What Can Watford Achieve in 2021/22?
Needless to say, Watford’s main aim will be to avoid relegation this season. But following a strong start to the previous campaign, they will be quietly confident of doing more than just avoiding relegation.
With a nice blend of exciting youngsters and seasoned pros in the squad, the Hornets could push for a mid-table finish if everything goes their way.
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