Watford have signed another Nigerian to bolster their squad. Samuel Kalu joins after over three years at Girondins de Bordeaux.
Watford started the season with a 3-2 win over Aston Villa. The victory suggested that the newly-promoted side were ready to play at the elite level. Halfway into the season, the Hornets have become relegation fodder. Their form has become a joke as they struggle to pick up points.
It has been a run of poor form for Watford that they’ve managed just four wins this season. With each match, the Hornets look more like a side that will return to the Championship.
The desired results have not come for the club, and it has seen them lose two coaches in the process. Xisco Munoz led the team into the Premiership, but with the season barely halfway, the Spaniard was fired, and former Chelsea and Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri brought in.
According to the club, performances under Munoz showed a negative trend when team cohesion should be visibly improving. The club’s woes continued under Ranieri, and the Italian showed the door with Roy Hodgson taking over.
Perhaps, it is the playing personnel with issues, and the club has been busy in the January transfer window. Watford has announced the signing of Nigerian winger Samuel Kalu from Bordeaux to bolster the squad and improve their chances of survival.
Samuel Kalu joins Watford
Watford seem to be enamored by Nigerian players as they have quite a number of them in their ranks. The club boasts of defender William Troost-Ekong, midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo and Emmanuel Dennis, while Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye joins from Sparta Rotterdam in the summer.
Odion Ighalo, Isaac Success and Dele Bashiru are some Nigerians who have played for the club.
“We all play together in the national team. They will help me a lot!” 🇳🇬🤝
🗣 Samuel Kalu discusses Nigerian connections, Premier League ambitions and more in his first interview as a Hornet!
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) January 26, 2022
Watford has added another Nigerian to its ranks. The Hornets announced on its website the signing of Samuel Kalu from FC Girondins de Bordeaux for a fee reported close to £3million. Kalu joins on a three-year deal that will keep him at the club till 2025.
Samuel Kalu is the fourth new signing of the January transfer window for Watford. Full-back Hassane Kamara, central defender Samir and midfielder Edo Kayembe are the others that arrived at Vicarage Road this month.
Style and record
Samuel Kalu spent three-and-a-half years at the French club scoring nine goals. The 24-year-old winger can play on both wings and is quick-footed but prefers to play on the right-wing.
After moving to Europe, the Nigeria winger first played for the Slovakian side AS Trenčín. He moved to the Belgian side KAA Gent in 2017 after impressing at Trenčín. He spent just a year at Gent before switching to Girondins de Bordeaux in August 2018. At the French club, he made 86 appearances.
Kalu has garnered ample experience at the European and international levels. He made his debut for the Super Eagles in September 2018. He has played 17 matches for Nigeria and scored in his last competitive start against Benin.
At Watford, Samuel Kalu will wear number 28.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 years ago
