Watford have won the race to sign Stevenage's exciting centre half Ben Wilmot, fighting off interest from a host of other top flight clubs and Leeds United.

According to reports in The Sun, the Hornets have fought off interest from Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, as well as Leeds to sign the 18-year old - with a £1.5m fee being agreed.

He was left out of the Stevenage side that beat Newport County 1-0 this weekend as the two clubs finalise the deal.

The report claims it is the much quicker route to first team football that has put Watford at the head of the queue, and that his current club hope to bring him back on loan for a period after he makes the move.

Stevenage Chairman Phil Wallace said: "Ben came back from international duty and we have had developments that suggest a deal will be agreed shortly for him to move when the window opens. We have had interest from Premier League and Championship clubs, which is not surprising when Ben is recognised by England as being one of the top four centre halves at his age level, with the other three coming from Man City, Chelsea and Spurs."

Watford's pursuit of the six foot two defender isn't a recent development, they had a £500,000 bid turned down in January. At the time it was reported that Stevenage's asking price was around the £1m mark, with the Sun reporting the deal to be worth £1.5m in total.

The Verdict

Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Watford.... there's little wonder Leeds didn't end up competing for Wilmot.

The chase went a bit above their heads and the price represents a risk for a Championship club, but not so much for a top flight side. Wilmot is incredibly talented and highly rated and there's little doubt he has a huge future in the game, but that future isn't going to be at a mid table Championship side.

It represents great business for Stevenage too, the Hertfordshire side haven't had a great season but that sort of money can help set you up for a solid promotion challenge if it is invested wisely.