"Does remain to be seen" - Watford FC, Caleb Wiley question raised as Chelsea transfer nears | OneFootball

FLW's Watford fan pundit believes that the Hornets are yet to see the best of Caleb Wiley at Vicarage Road

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk‘ series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Chelsea defender Caleb Wiley is set to rejoin Watford on loan for the 2025/26 campaign.

According to the Athletic, both clubs are keen for the deal to happen after Wiley impressed during his short loan at Vicarage Road last term.

The 20-year-old only made 10 appearances for the Hornets due to a shoulder problem he sustained whilst playing for French outfit Strasbourg but still managed to show glimpses of his huge potential.

Wiley joined Chelsea from Atlanta United for around £8.5million in 2024 and the Blues are keen for him to gain more experience in the English game next season.

Football League World’s Watford fan pundit, Justin Beattie, believes the deal will be received positively by the Hornets’ fanbase.

Watford handed seal of approval over Caleb Wiley loan

“Caleb Wiley came in during the January window injured,” explained Justin. “So we didn't see him play for at least a month after he arrived at Vicarage Road.

“He seemed to be fairly steady at left-back, and I think he did enough for us to be happy that he's going to be with us again this season.

“Whether he showed enough to become the full-time starter at left-back or not does remain to be seen, only because we didn't really see enough of him to make a full assessment on that.

“But I think on the whole, the fan base was pleased that he was back with us this season, so good luck to him and I hope his time with us is fruitful.”

Watford are building momentum for the 2025/26 campaign

The Hornets kicked off their summer by making the bold decision to dismiss Tom Cleverley and replace him with Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano.

Watford have already added Marc Bola, Nathan Baxter and Hector Kyprianou to their ranks in the transfer window and are keen to make Wiley the next name on that list.

Pezzolano and Co. are thought to be looking at three to four further signings which would make for quite the squad overhaul, something which is sure to build excitement among the club’s fanbase.

14th in the Championship isn’t where anyone involved with Watford will aim to be finishing, especially when you consider that just six years ago, they were Premier League regulars and FA Cup finalists.

With a fresh batch of new recruits, a push back up the division towards the play-off places will be the task at hand for Pezzolano during his first season in charge at Vicarage Road.