Watford have completed the signing of Rey Manaj, according to the Watford Observer.
The forward has arrived from Barcelona for an undisclosed fee ahead of the new season.
Manaj has signed a three-year deal that will keep him at Vicarage Road until 2025, with a sell-on clause also reportedly inserted into the deal.
That clause is said to be larger than the initially reported 20 per cent.
The Albanian forward has been compared to Troy Deeney and Heidar Helguson for his style of play, if not his size.
The 25-year old is comfortable leading the line and is more than willing to get his head down and do the dirty work involved with that role.
The club’s chairman Scott Duxbury was pleased with the completion of the signing, and claimed it was an example of how quickly everything can come together in football.
“Football does move very fast, and we acted as quickly as we could,” said Duxbury, via the Watford Observer.
“As with anything, rumours start. We wanted to distance ourselves from them, particularly as we were acutely aware other clubs in Europe were interested in the player and we didn’t want to make Barcelona feel we were jumping the gun.
“However, we are very pleased to complete the deal for a player who fits the type and style of striker that Rob wanted."
Manaj had one season left on his deal with Barcelona, the club he signed for in 2021 having initially arrived at Barcelona B in 2020 in the Segunda Division.
However, the striker never played for the first team squad since making the switch from the B team.
Manaj will now join up with the first team squad at London Colney as Rob Edwards prepares his side for the upcoming Championship campaign.
The Verdict
This is an interesting move for Watford, who may have unearthed a really good signing.
He has been signed with enough time to spare that he may have adjusted to his new surroundings in time to play a role in the season’s opening fixture later this month.
Given the speculation surrounding some of the key attacking players at the club, bringing in a new forward now is a proactive approach to the market.
It remains to be seen if any other incomings will be arriving in the team imminently.