Ashley Fletcher was a relative regular in the Middlesbrough side at one time, making 43 appearances in the 2019/20 season and bagging 17 goal contributions along the way.

However, the striker began to find starting action harder to come by and by the 2020/21 campaign, he was limited in terms of the minutes he was being handed at the Championship outfit.

With both parties agreeing to move him on, the forward managed to seal a move up a division to the Premier League and to Watford, who fancied taking him on over the summer.

It’s meant that even though the 26-year-old was struggling to break into the starting eleven of a Championship side, he now found himself at a top tier outfit and was given the chance to try and make a mark in the top league in English football.

 

 

As of yet though, that opportunity to try and shine on the big stage hasn’t happened. He’s made two appearances for his new club and bagged two goals – a solid return – but both of those showings have come in the EFL Cup. In the actual Premier League, the attacker has yet to feature for the Hornets.

Watford are certainly not struggling yet in the top flight – they’re sitting in 14th place and bagged five goals at the weekend in a victory over Everton – and that’s meant that Fletcher has been unable to get even a minute of competitive action for the squad yet.

If it continues in this vein heading into the winter transfer window, then Watford might consider sending the former Middlesbrough man out on loan to try and get some more minutes, which means we might end up seeing him back in the second tier. However, the club have a new manager in Claudio Ranieri now and if he can impress the new boss in training, he may finally get on the pitch and show what he is all about.

For now though, Fletcher is without a league appearance – and will have to keep hoping his work on the training pitch gets him some minutes or he could be out on a short-term (or even long-term) deal in the winter transfer window.