Watford are close to completing the sale of forward Tiago Cukur to Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

Posting on social media earlier today, the Turkish club confirmed that they had reached an agreement in principle with the Championship side for the 19-year-old.

Cukur is scheduled to arrive in Istanbul this evening, with further transfer negotiations and a medical both scheduled.

At this stage, the actual fee being paid by Fenerbahce for the player is unclear.

This is certainly a transfer that comes as a bit of surprise given how Cukur's short career has gone so far.

He linked up with the Hornets back in January of 2021 and last season had his first taste of first team football in the EFL.

Loaned out to Doncaster Rovers in League One, things did not really work out for the now 19-year-old, who scored just one goal in his 25 club appearances.

Towards the end of his spell with the club, he failed to command a start, which resulted in Watford re-calling him back to the club.

In the last six months his career has taken an upturn, though.

Recently, in fact, despite still not having made a first team appearance for the Hornets, Cukur made his full Turkey debut.

Appearing for six minutes in a UEFA Nations League fixture against Lithuania, it appears the Amsterdam-born Turkish citizen has pledged his allegiances.

The Verdict

This is definitely a transfer that caught me by surprise when rumours linking Cukir with Fenerbahce first emerged recently.

Things didn't work out for Cukur at Doncaster Rovers last season whilst on loan there, but he is a highly-rated young player who will now try his luck elsewhere.

Going from Doncaster to arguably the biggest club in Turkey in the space of six months has no doubt been a whirlwind journey for the 19-year-old.

It will certainly be interesting to see how he gets on in Istanbul.