5 Watford FC players likely to leave by 11pm on Friday 30th August | OneFootball

5 Watford FC players likely to leave Vicarage Road by transfer deadline day

Watford will be striving to make a play-off push next season following a disappointing 2023/24 campaign in which the Hornets finished 15th in the Championship table just two years after being relegated from the Premier League.

Tom Cleverley will be hoping to enjoy his first full season as head coach at Vicarage Road after taking the reins from former boss Valerien Ismael in March.

The former central midfielder will look to use the summer transfer window to shape his own Hornets squad, so FLW takes a look at five players who are likely to leave the club by deadline day.

Mattie Pollock

The Hornets signed central defender Mattie Pollock from Grimsby Town in the summer of 2021, but he has since endured loan spells with Cheltenham Town and Scottish Premiership outfit Aberdeen, meaning his only full season at Vicarage Road came last campaign.

But the 22-year-old made just 18 appearances in the Championship last term, and was named in the starting 11 on just 10 occasions, which would suggest he does not hold a high place in the defensive pecking order despite making four starts in the last five games of the season.

Pollock is still a young player whose contract expires in 2026, so perhaps the Hornets will look at loaning him out, rather than selling him this summer, as he still has plenty of potential to make a difference at Championship level in the years to come.

James Morris

Southampton academy product James Morris moved to Vicarage Road in 2021, but the young left-back has struggled to make a significant impact with the Hornets since his arrival, making just 31 senior appearances in three years.

Last campaign, he made his highest ever number of appearances in a single season in Watford colours, with 16 in all competitions, but a departure could still be the best move for his career after he made just 12 Championship outings.

Furthermore, Cleverley has tended to use a wing-back system, meaning that Morris is competing with the likes of Ken Sema and Ryan Andrews for a first-team spot, which could prove to be a tricky task should he remain at Vicarage Road.

Therefore, a move away from the Hornets, either permanently or on a loan basis, could be the best way forward for the 22-year-old.

Albert Eames

Hornets youth academy graduate Albert Eames made his first-ever senior appearance on the final day of last season, which came as a major milestone for his career so far, albeit a one-minute cameo during a 3-1 defeat to Middlesbrough.

Eames was also an unused substitute during a clash with Birmingham City in March, but the 18-year-old is in need of more first-team experience before being thrown in the deep end of a potential battle for the Championship play-offs.

A loan move to a League One or League Two club would be ideal for the teenager who will be looking to make his mark in the senior game next season.

Samuel Kalu

The Hornets signed Nigerian winger Samuel Kalu back in their Premier League days in January 2022, but he was unable to save the side from relegation, as he made no goal contributions in 13 appearances during the latter half of the 2021/22 top-flight season.

He made just nine appearances for the Vicarage Road outfit during the following campaign and was subsequently loaned out to Swiss Super League side Lausanne for the duration of last season.

But Kalu managed just three goals in 21 appearances in Switzerland, so Cleverley could look to sell his man this summer, given the fact that his move to Hertfordshire has not been a success.

Jorge Cabezas

Colombia youth international Jorge Cabezas has only made one senior appearance for the Hornets since joining from Colombian side Real Cartagena in January 2023.

The 20-year-old has spent time on loan back in his home nation with Independiente Medellin, before joining Major League Soccer giants New York Red Bulls, also on a loan basis, in 2023.

Cabezas went out on loan once more back in February, this time joining League Two outfit Gillingham, where the striker managed just three appearances.

The South American needs more game time, so perhaps another loan move would be ideal, while his current contract with the Hornets lasts until 2029, which demonstrates the fact that the club have full belief in his potential.