Watford FC set to beat Atletico Madrid to winger transfer in £500k deal | OneFootball

Watford FC have secured the Georgian teenager's signature

Watford FC have won the race for Georgian winger Nikoloz Chikovani, beating European giants Atletico Madrid to his services.

The Hornets have picked up four points from their opening three games in the 2025/26 Championship campaign, with a Luca Kjerrumgaard brace giving them their only victory, at the expense of QPR.

Paulo Pezzolano has added the likes of Nestory Irankunda, Othmane Maamma and Hector Kyprianou to his ranks this summer, among others, and is now set to welcome another new face to Vicarage Road - albeit he may not be sticking around in the short-term.

Watford FC set to secure Nikoloz Chikovani signing

Watford have ambitions of fighting towards the top of the Championship and ultimately securing a place back in the Premier League, and their latest signing could play an important role in realising those hopes later down the line.

According to Sky Sport Italy's Luca Bendoni, the Hornets have agreed to sign Chikovani from Georgian outfit Dinamo Tbilisi.

The transfer fee is believed to be in the region of £500,000, with the forward described in the report as Georgia’s "golden boy".

Watford view Chikovani as a project signing though, and as per Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, he is expected to be sent out on loan after being signed.

The 18-year-old was highlighted as a market opportunity the Hornets could take advantage of due to the fact that he only had one year remaining on his deal at Dinamo Tbilisi.

Clubs including Atletico Madrid were keen on signing the teenager, according to Bendoni, but Watford convinced him to join their project.

Chikovani has played 11 times for Georgia’s under-19's side, scoring on three occasions.

Watford FC are keen to continue adding to their squad ahead of September 1 deadline

Despite adding Chikovani to their squad, Watford aren’t done with their transfer business yet.

The teenager will be Pezzolano’s eighth addition of the summer, but according to Sky Sports’ Anthony Joseph, the Hornets are still looking to add two more signings before the end of the window.

The club are actively looking for profiles in both the centre-back and defensive midfield markets, which have been identified as the priority areas to recruit for.

Joseph states that Watford’s preference is to target some more experienced operators to fill these positions, instead of acquiring more youthful prospects.

This extensive transfer business during the final stages of the window highlights real intent from the Hornets, who are clearly determined to avoid finishing outside of the Championship’s top 10 for the fifth consecutive year.

It is still yet to be seen which specific players Pezzolano and co decide to acquire, but a mix of young, exciting talent and experienced heads can often prove to be successful in the EFL.