2024–25 Watford F.C. season explained

Club:	Watford
Season:	2024–25
Owner:	Gino Pozzo
Chairman:	Scott Duxbury^[1]
Manager:	Tom Cleverley^[2]
Mgrtitle:	Head Coach
Stadium:	Vicarage Road
League:	Championship
League Result:	3rd
Cup1:	FA Cup
Cup2:	EFL Cup
Prevseason:	2023–24
Nextseason:	2025–26

The 2024–25 season is the 126th season in the history of Watford and their third consecutive season in the Championship. The club are participating in the Championship, the FA Cup, and the EFL Cup.

Current squad

^{[3] [4]}

No.	Name	Position	Nationality	Date of birth (Age)	Signed from	Since	Fee	Ends	Apps	Goals
Goalkeepers
1				9 July 1994 (age 30)		2017	Free Transfer	2028	118	0
23				19 May 1993 (age 31)		2024	Free Transfer	2025	34	0
Defenders
2				7 September 2000 (age 23)		2020	Free Transfer	2027	76	0
3				6 May 1997 (age 27)		2020	Undisclosed	2027	91	2
4				6 March 1994 (age 30)		2023	£2,000,000	2025	63	4
5				25 March 1999 (age 25)		2023	£500,000	2027	58	5
6				28 September 2001 (age 22)		2021	£300,000	2026	27	1
13				1 May 2005 (age 19)		2024	Undisclosed	2029	0	0
15				21 April 2004 (age 20)		2024	Loan	2025	1	0
22				23 November 2001 (age 22)		2021	Free Transfer	2026	33	0
37				1 January 2001 (age 23)		2024	Loan	2025	2	0
45				26 August 2004 (age 19)		2012	—	2028	54	4
—				22 March 2001 (age 23)		2023	£2,500,000	2027	5	1
Midfielders
8				29 August 1999 (age 24)		2024	Undisclosed	2027	39	2
10				1 May 1999 (age 25)		2021	£10,000,000	2028	62	6
11				18 April 2005 (age 19)		2024	Compensation	2028	1	0
17				16 August 1989 (age 34)		2024	Free Transfer	2026	40	2
18				19 November 2003 (age 20)		2022	£3,000,000	2026	86	7
24				17 September 1999 (age 24)		2019	Free Transfer	2026	52	4
39				3 June 1998 (age 26)		2022	£4,700,000	2026	73	8
Forwards
7				30 January 1992 (age 32)		2023	£50,000	2026	31	5
9				17 July 1999 (age 25)		2023	£1,000,000	2028	46	12
12				30 September 1993 (age 30)		2018	Undisclosed	2025	161	12
19				10 January 1997 (age 27)		2022	£5,800,000	2027	69	11
20				18 February 2006 (age 18)	Black Stars	2024	Undisclosed	2030	1	0
34				27 January 2003 (age 21)		2021	Free Transfer	2026	1	1
—				26 August 1997 (age 26)		2022	£3,000,000	2025	13	0
Out on loan
—				5 December 2004 (age 19)		2020	—	2026	5	0
—				6 September 2003 (age 20)		2023	Undisclosed	2029	1	0

Transfers

Out

Date	Pos.	Player	To	Fee	Ref.
28 June 2024				Undisclosed	^[10]
1 August 2024				Free

Loaned in

Date	Pos.	Player	From	Date until	Ref.
22 July 2024				End of Season	^[11]
1 August 2024				End of Season	^[12]

Loaned out

Date	Pos.	Player	To	Date until	Ref.
24 July 2024				End of Season	^[13]
29 July 2024		Myles Roberts		End of Season	^[14]
15 August 2024				End of Season	^[15]

Released / Out of Contract

Date	Pos.	Player	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
30 June 2024				1 July 2024	^[16]
30 June 2024				1 July 2024	^[17]
30 June 2024		Scott Holding		19 July 2024	^[18]
30 June 2024		James Collins		2 August 2024	^[19]
30 June 2024		Jack Taylor		16 August 2024	^[20]
30 June 2024		Hamzat Balogun			^[21]
30 June 2024		Ben Casey
30 June 2024		Charlie Davis
30 June 2024		Yianni Goulandris
30 June 2024
30 June 2024		Dawid Hamiga
30 June 2024		Alfie King
30 June 2024					^[22]
30 June 2024		Victor Wachowicz

Pre-season and friendlies

On 22 May, Watford announced their initial pre-season schedule, with friendlies against Reading (behind closed doors), Boreham Wood, Stevenage, Gillingham, Wycombe Wanderers and Brentford.^[23] On 13 June, they added an away match against Scottish side Hibernian.^[24]

Competitions

Championship

See main article: 2024–25 EFL Championship.

Matches

On 26 June, the Championship fixtures were announced.^[25]

FA Cup

See main article: 2024–25 FA Cup.

EFL Cup

See main article: 2024–25 EFL Cup.

On 27 June, the draw for the first round was made, with Watford being drawn at home against Milton Keynes Dons.^[26] In the second round, they were drawn at home to Plymouth Argyle.^[27]

Statistics

Appearances and goals

No.	Pos.	Nat.	Name	League		FA Cup		EFL Cup		Total		Discipline
				Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1	GK		Daniel Bachmann	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
2	DF		Jeremy Ngakia	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
3	DF		Francisco Sierralta	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	3	0
4	DF		Wesley Hoedt	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	DF		Ryan Porteous	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
6	DF		Mattie Pollock	2	0	0	0	1	1	3	1	0	0
7	FW		Tom Ince	0+1	0	0	0	1	3	1+1	3	0	0
8	MF		Giorgi Chakvetadze	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0
9	FW		Mileta Rajović	0+2	1	0	0	1	0	1+2	1	1	0
10	MF		Imran Louza	0+1	0	0	0	1	0	1+1	0	0	0
11	MF		Rocco Vata	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
12		FW		Ken Sema	0+1	0	0	0	1	0	1+1	0	0	0
13	CB		Kayky Almeida	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
15	DF		Antonio Tikvić (on loan from Udinese)	0	0	0	0	0+1	0	0+1	0	0	0
17	MF		Moussa Sissoko	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
18	MF		Yáser Asprilla	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
19	FW		Vakoun Bayo	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0
20	FW		Mamadou Doumbia	0	0	0	0	0+1	0	0+1	0	0	0
22	DF		James Morris	1	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
23	GK		Jonathan Bond	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
24	MF		Tom Dele-Bashiru	2	0	0	0	1	0	3	0	0	0
34	FW		Kwadwo Baah	0+1	0	0	0	0+1	1	0+2	1	0	0
37	DF		Yasser Larouci (on loan from Troyes)	0+1	0	0	0	0+1	0	0+2	0	0	0
39	MF		Edo Kayembe	2	3	0	0	0	0	2	3	1	0
41	GK		Alfie Marriott	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
42	FW		Shaq Forde	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
44	DF		Albert Eames	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
45	DF		Ryan Andrews	2	1	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	0
47	FW		Zavier Massiah-Edwards	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
49	FW		Michael Adu-Poku	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
50	GK		Jonathan Macaulay	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
51	DF		George Abbott	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
52	MF		Leo Ramirez-Espain	0	0	0	0	0+1	0	0+1	0	0	0
53	FW		Amin Nabizada	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
56	DF		James Clarridge	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
—	FW		Samuel Kalu	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Players away on loan:
—	FW		Jorge Cabezas Hurtado	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
—	DF		João Ferreira	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Notes and References

1. https://www.watfordfc.com/club/club-statement-0 "Club Statement"
2. News: Cleverley Confirmed As Permanent Head Coach . 24 April 2024 . Watford FC . 24 April 2024.
3. Web site: First-team squad . Watford F.C. . 31 January 2018.
4. Web site: Men’s 2024/25 Squad Numbers Confirmed. Watford F.C. . 9 August 2024.
5. News: Doumbia To Join Hornets . 21 March 2024 . Watford FC . 19 February 2024.
6. News: Official: Bond Rejoins The Hornets. 3 July 2024 . Watford FC . 3 July 2024.
7. News: Official: Vata Is A Hornet!. 5 July 2024 . Watford FC . 5 July 2024.
8. News: Official: Sissoko Rejoins Hornets!. 10 July 2024 . Watford FC . 10 July 2024.
9. News: Official: Almeida Becomes A Hornet. 8 August 2024 . Watford FC . 8 August 2024.
10. News: Koné Departs . 29 June 2024 . Watford FC . 28 June 2024.
11. News: Official: Hornets Seal Tikvić Loan. 22 July 2024 . Watford FC . 22 July 2024.
12. News: Larouci Becomes A Golden Boy . 1 August 2024 . Watford FC . 1 August 2024.
13. News: Official: Grieves Joins Ross County On Loan. 24 July 2024. Watford FC. 24 July 2024.
14. News: Official: Roberts Heads To Partick Thistle On Loan. 29 July 2024. Watford FC. 29 July 2024.
15. News: Hurtado Loaned To PAOK . 15 August 2024 . Watford FC . 15 August 2024.
16. News: Pool Bring In Ashley Fletcher . 20 June 2024 . Blackpool FC . 20 June 2024.
17. News: Ben Hamer agrees Owls deal . 14 June 2024 . Sheffield Wednesday FC . 14 June 2024.
18. News: Scott Holding Becomes Our Ninth Summer Addition. 26 July 2024 . Macclesfield FC. 19 June 2024.
19. News: James Collins: New signing for the 24/25 season. 11 August 2024 . Dulwich Hamlet FC. 2 August 2024.
20. News: Jack Joins The Blues!. 19 August 2024 . Bishop Stortford FC. 19 August 2024.
21. News: Academy Contract Offers & Departures . 29 May 2024 . Watford FC . 29 May 2024.
22. News: Ngakia Signs New Contract & Trio Depart . 23 May 2024 . Watford FC . 23 May 2024.
23. News: Pre-Season: Six Matches Announced. 22 May 2024 . Watford FC . 22 May 2024.
24. News: Pre-Season: Hibs Friendly Confirmed. 13 June 2024 . Watford FC . 13 June 2024.
25. News: Fixtures: Watford Begin With Millwall Trip . 26 June 2024 . Watford FC . 26 June 2024.
26. News: Carabao Cup Round One draw confirmed . 27 June 2024 . English Football League . 27 June 2024.
27. News: Carabao Cup Round Two draw confirmed . 15 August 2024 . English Football League . 14 August 2024.