Why a deal for William Troost-Ekong is a massive boost for Watford
According to BBC, Watford have signed Nigerian international centre-back William Troost-Ekong. The 27-year-old has arrived from fellow Pozzo-owned club Udinese in Italy.
As per Watford Observer, Hornets boss Ivic has also hailed the Nigerian as a quality player while expressing his desire to work with the central defender in Hertfordshire.
Profile
Born in the Netherlands to a Nigerian father and a Dutch mother, William Troost-Ekong played youth football at Tottenham and Fulham in England before starting his professional career with Groningen and Dordrecht in Holland.
He subsequently went on to play top-flight football with Haugesund in Norway, Gent in Belgium, and Bursaspor in Turkey before completing a move to Udinese in the summer of 2018. Troost-Ekong has registered 66 appearances for Udinese in all competitions over the past two seasons, establishing himself as a regular starter in the playing XI.
A full international for Nigeria since 2015, the towering centre-back has accumulated 42 senior caps for his nation, representing the Super Eagles at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and also at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Troost-Ekong would add more quality to Watford’s defence
Watford aren’t really crying out for reinforcements at the heart of the defence, with Craig Cathcart, Christian Kabasele, Ben Wilmot, Craig Dawson and Francisco Sierralta competing for places at centre-back. However, the Hornets’ willingness to bring in another defender makes perfect sense, considering the rigours of a 46-game season in the Championship.
While Cathcart, Dawson and Wilmot have previous experience in the EFL Championship, new signing Sierralta has only featured just over 50 times in his club career so far. William Troost-Ekong, to that end, would represent an instant upgrade on the Chilean, while he also fits the bill as a tried and tested performer in one of the top leagues in Europe.
The 27-year-old featured for Tottenham and Fulham in his youth career, so that should make it easier for him to settle down in England and make an instant impact in the Championship.
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Verdict
William Troost-Ekong still has his best years ahead of him at 27 while his ample experience at the club and international level makes him a lucrative option for a promotion-chasing side like Watford in the Championship. So the Nigerian international should definitely be worth a punt for Watford.
