Watford complete signing of Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona
The 24-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Vicarage Road
Watford
have reached an agreement to sign midfielder Gerard Deulofeu from
Barcelona for an initial €13 million, the Spanish club have announced.
Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Watford have signed former Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona, the Spanish champions have confirmed.
The 24-year-old spent the second
half of last season on loan at Vicarage Road, scoring once in seven
Premier League appearances for the Hornets.
Deulofeu will now return to
Hertfordshire on a full-time basis after Barcelona announced a deal
worth an initial €13 million had been agreed.
Announcing the deal on their
website, Barcelona said in a statement: “FC Barcelona and Watford FC
have reached an agreement for the transfer of Gerard Deulofeu to the
English club.
“They have agreed on a fee of €13
million, plus €4 million in variables. FC Barcelona will also receive a
percentage of any future transfer operations to other clubs.”
A product of Barcelona’s academy,
Deulofeu struggled to break into the first team at the Nou Camp and was
loaned out to Everton in 2013.
He was a hit under Roberto Martinez
at Goodison Park and, following a loan stint at Sevilla the following
term, was signed permanently by the Toffees in summer 2015.
All did not go to plan on
Merseyside and in January 2017 the player was loaned to AC Milan, where
some strong performances convinced Barca to take up their buy-back
option with Everton.
Establishing himself in Catalonia
again proved impossible, however, and Deulofeu was farmed out to
Watford, who on Monday expressed their delight at having clinched his
services on a permanent basis.
“We are very pleased to welcome
Gerard back to Vicarage Road and thank FC Barcelona for their part in
concluding this deal,” Watford chairman Scott Duxbury told the club’s website.
“Our ambition to succeed and grow in the Premier League remains as strong as ever.” click here to continue
