Watford aims to boost attacking options

Watford are looking to improve their forward line for the new season by signing Maccabi Haifa striker Frantzdy Pierrot, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The 29-year-old Haiti international is reportedly free to leave Israel for £1.7 million, with the player expressing a desire to play in England.

The Hornets are looking to improve their attacking quality after a disappointing season last year, when they finished 15th in the Championship after spending much of the season near the bottom of the table. Mileta Rajovic, a Danish striker, was the only Hertfordshire player to score double figures in 2023-24, with 11 goals across all competitions.

Watford began last season with former West Bromwich Albion manager Valerien Ismael in charge, but the Frenchman was fired in March, just months after signing a long-term contract. After impressing on an interim basis, former midfielder Tom Cleverley was given the reins at Vicarage Road and is now in charge of a squad entering their third season in the second tier.

A move for Pierrot would provide Watford with another option in the future, as well as a player with good pedigree and a strong scoring record wherever he has played, which the Hornets currently lack. The 29-year-old target man has played in the United States, France, Belgium, and most recently Israel, scoring 78 goals in 222 club appearances, including 26 in all competitions last season for Maccabi Haifa.

Pierrot has an excellent international record, having scored 21 goals in 30 appearances for a rapidly improving Haiti team.

Pierrot also has a year left on his current contract at Maccabi Haifa, so his club may be willing to sell in order to earn a fee for the player, increasing his chances of moving to the English game, which he is said to want.

This could be a very good move for Watford. Tom Cleverley’s side struggled last year and failed to get any of their strikers to fire, and Pierrot could provide the clinical edge they have lacked.

The Haitian would also be reasonably priced and have a solid track record, making the move relatively risk-free. At the age of 29, the player may finally have the opportunity to make a significant move.

Given his previous success, he’d be expected to hit the ground running and become a key player at Vicarage Road following last season’s disappointment.

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