Watford Land Barca Star In Shock Loan Deal

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Javi Gracia raided La Liga for his first signing as Watford boss reports the BBC.

Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu moved to Vicarage Road on a loan-deal until the end of the season with the Hornets funding his salary with a loan fee of €1m also due.

Deulofeu’s career has been punctuated by loan spells since he was promoted from the Barcelona ‘B’ squad.

An initial season-long loan at Everton proved successful, leading to another loan at Sevilla.

Less successful than hoped for, he returned to Goodison Park for an eighteen-month spell which saw him grab 4 goals in 46 appearances on a permanent deal.

After 18 months, he was loaned to AC Milan but before a permanent deal could be negotiated, Barcelona stepped in and activated the buy-back clause in his sale contract.

Deulofeu has been on the fringes of the Blaugrana squad this season with 10 La Liga appearances to his name but has mainly found himself used in cup competitions. The hope for Watford is that the young Catalan can provide a spark for the Hertfordshire club which finds itself on the cusp of the relegation battle.

If they lose at Stoke this week, it’s possible the Hornets could find themselves one point off the bottom three. Gracia witnessed his players arguing with fans after the FA Cup defeat at Southampton last weekend and knows the club needs a boost ahead of a difficult month.