Charlton Athletic: Watford FC, Tom Cleverley developments may draw surprise at The Valley | OneFootball

Watford FC signed a former Charlton Athletic defender earlier this month.

Championship side Watford made Udinese defender James Abankwah their first signing of the January transfer window earlier this month.

The 21-year-old joined the Hornets on loan from sister club Udinese until the end of the season, having made six appearances in Serie A during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Republic of Ireland youth international will no doubt be keen to make his mark in English football, after he endured a disappointing spell on loan in League One with Charlton Athletic last season.

Abankwah has already made two league appearances for Watford since his arrival at Vicarage Road, equalling the amount he made across his entire spell at The Valley, with Tom Cleverley having named him in the starting eleven against both Derby County and Preston North End.

His performance against the Rams caught the eye of the Hornets' boss, which will come as a surprise to Charlton fans, who apparently did not see the best of him under Michael Appleton last term.

Abankwah made an instant impact at Watford

Abankwah made an instant impact on his debut for Watford against Derby at the weekend, picking up a booking for a strong challenge on Nathaniel Mendez-Laing during the opening exchanges of the game.

The Hornets picked up an important three points at Pride Park as they continued their push for a play-off place in the second tier, and Cleverley was full of praise for the debutant post-match, as per the Watford Observer.

"I can't say I know the player inside out, but I'd watched a lot of Udinese footage and we've seen him for two days on the training pitch and I liked what I saw - especially his urgency to defend," said Cleverley.

"I thought today we saw him in possession today as a really calm player, and that was really pleasing.

"His attitude is great, he's mature and he's already asking questions. He understands his role and I'm really pleased we've got him through the door and he's settled in so quickly.

"It's funny because normally someone like Mendez-Laing would welcome a young lad with a Championship challenge, but it was the other way round today."

Abankwah's impact may draw surprise at The Valley

The fact that Abankwah has seemingly impressed already in the Championship will come as a surprise to many Charlton fans, as he never really got a look in during his time in SE7.

He was handed the number 13 shirt upon his arrival, and that just about summed up his luck during the time he spent at The Valley.

The defender started consecutive fixtures against Stevenage and Wycombe Wanderers just a few weeks after agreeing a season-long loan deal at the club, although he was substituted in both games and never featured in another League One squad for the Addicks.

His third and final appearance for Charlton came during a shock 1-1 draw at home against non-league side Cray Valley Paper Mills in the FA Cup, a game in which he was again substituted after just over an hour.

Funnily enough, Abankwah was undefeated during his time at Charlton, but Udinese cut his loan spell short in January, bringing an end to his unsuccessful stint at the club.

Given that he failed to make an impact in the third tier, it will likely come as a surprise to Charlton supporters that he has made his mark in the Championship so quickly at Watford.