These 5 Watford players will leave Vicarage Road in 2023

Watford face a busy summer ahead in order to improve their first team squad.

Valerien Ismael has been appointed as the latest Hornets boss after another turbulent 12 months for the club.

Watford will be aiming to compete for promotion next season after an 11th place finish in the Championship.

Who is set to leave Watford this summer?

A number of transfer deals can be expected at Vicarage Road over the coming months.

But here we look at the players that are set to leave the club this summer…

Britt Assombalonga

The forward made his return to the club where his career began by signing a short-term contract as a free agent in January.

That deal is now set to expire in the coming weeks, with his future set to be away from Vicarage Road.

While Watford holds an option to extend his stay by another year, it has been decided that he will not be returning to the first team squad for next season.

The 30-year-old made 11 league appearances for the Hornets, featuring 10 times off the bench and scoring twice.

Leandro Bacuna

Bacuna is another mid-season arrival that was signed on a short-term basis as a free agent.

The midfielder signed in December, going on to feature 14 times in the league.

The 31-year-old’s contract is set to expire in the summer, with the club having confirmed that his short-term stay will be coming to an end in June.

That means Bacuna has played his final game for the club.

Is Craig Cathcart leaving Watford?

Cathcart has spent nearly a decade at Vicarage Road, signing for Watford from Blackpool in the summer of 2014.

The 34-year-old made 28 league appearances for Watford last season, last featuring in a 2-2 draw with Coventry City in early April.

The defender’s contract expires at the end of the month, but discussions are underway over a potential new deal which could keep him at Vicarage Road.

Dan Gosling

Gosling signed for Watford from Bournemouth in the January transfer window of 2021.

The 33-year-old signed a two and a half-year deal which is now set to expire in the coming weeks.

Gosling made just 17 league appearances last season, including only nine starts, but discussions are taking place to extend his stay at the club beyond this summer, meaning he may still have a future at Watford.

Tom Cleverley

Cleverley’s contract with Watford is set to expire this summer.

Talks have begun over a new contract, but no agreement has yet been reached on a deal.

The midfielder signed for the Hornets on a permanent basis in 2017 following an initial loan spell from Everton.

Cleverley made just four league appearances this season owing to injury.