3 Watford players whose careers are at a real crossroads

It is set to be another busy summer at Watford as they begin life under new manager Valerien Ismael.

The Hornets were widely expected to be among the title contenders in the Championship this season, but they endured an incredibly underwhelming campaign which included further managerial changes, with Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilic and Chris Wilder all taking charge of the team as they recorded a disappointing 11th-placed finish.

Wilder departed last month at the end of his short-term contract and was replaced by former Barnsley and West Bromwich Albion boss Ismael, who became the club’s 19th permanent manager since the takeover by the Pozzo family in 2012.

Striker Rhys Healey has completed his move from Toulouse to become the club’s first signing of the summer, while Britt Assombalonga and Leandro Bacuna were among those to leave at the end of their contracts and Joao Pedro has joined Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

With the transfer window now open for business, there are likely to be further departures from Vicarage Road and we looked at which players are facing an uncertain future.

Which Watford players are at a real crossroads in their career?

Ashley Fletcher

It has been a frustrating time for striker Fletcher since his arrival at the club in June 2021.

Fletcher was a somewhat surprising signing by the Hornets following his release by Middlesbrough and after struggling for game time, he was loaned out to New York Red Bulls last February.

After a disappointing spell with the MLS outfit in which he failed to score in seven appearances, he joined Wigan Athletic on a temporary basis in August, scoring two goals in 28 appearances in all competitions as the Latics were relegated to League One.

It seems unlikely Fletcher will be part of Ismael’s plans, but as he still has three years left on his contract at Vicarage Road, the Hornets may demand a significant fee for his services which could price him out of a permanent exit.

Domingos Quina

Midfielder Quina has also struggled to establish himself with the Hornets.

Quina joined the club from West Ham United in August 2018, but he has found his minutes limited and he has had a number of loan spells away from the club with Granada, Fulham, Barnsley, Elche and most recently Rotherham United.

The 23-year-old joined the Millers on a temporary basis in January, making eight appearances to help Matt Taylor’s side secure Championship survival.

Quina will almost certainly be on the move again this summer and perhaps it would be best for him to find a new permanent home to reignite his career.

Maduka Okoye

Goalkeeper Okoye arrived at the club last January for £5 million from Sparta Rotterdam.

He was immediately loaned back to the Dutch outfit for the remainder of the season, but he has made just two appearances for the Hornets since his return to Vicarage Road, with both coming in cup competitions.

Okoye was frequently left out of the matchday squad altogether in the second half of the campaign with Ben Hamer preferred as second choice behind Daniel Bachmann.

The 23-year-old is under contract until 2027 and he revealed in December that he was open to leaving the club in the January transfer window, although a move did not materialise.

Okoye is clearly a player with a lot of potential, underlined by his significant transfer fee and the fact he has featured for Nigeria at international level, but it has not worked out for him so far and his departure could be the right option for both parties this summer.