Watford are looking to improve their forward line going into the new season with a move for Maccabi Haifa striker Frantzdy Pierrot, according to journalist Alan Nixon.
The 29-year-old Haiti international is reportedly free to leave Israel for a fee of £1.7 million, with the player said to be keen on a move to English football.
The Hornets are looking to improve their quality in attack following a disappointing season last term, finishing 15th in the Championship after spending much of the season towards the lower end of the table. Danish striker Mileta Rajovic was the only player to hit double figures for the Hertfordshire outfit in 2023-24, scoring 11 goals in all competitions.
Watford started last campaign with former West Bromwich Albion boss Valerien Ismael at the helm but sacked the Frenchman in March, just months after tying him down to a long-term contract. After impressing on an interim basis, former midfielder Tom Cleverley was given the reins at Vicarage Road and is now tasked with leading a squad going into their third consecutive season in the second tier.
A move for Pierrot would give Watford another option going forward as well as a player with good pedigree and a strong scoring record wherever he has played, something the Hornets are currently lacking. The 29-year-old target man has had spells in the USA, France, Belgium and more recently Israel, scoring 78 times in 222 club appearances overall, including 26 in all competitions last campaign for Maccabi Haifa.
At international level, Pierrot has a fantastic record, scoring 21 times from 30 caps for a fast-improving Haiti side.
Pierrot also only has a year left on his current contract at Maccabi Haifa, so his club may be willing to sell in order to gain a fee for the player, which may boost his chances of the move to the English game that he is said to want.
Writer’s View
This is potentially a very good move for Watford. Tom Cleverley’s side struggled last year and failed to get any of their strikers firing, and a move for Pierrot could give them the clinical edge they have been lacking.
The Haitian would also come fairly cheap with a good track record, so the move is fairly risk free. As for the player, this may finally be his chance for a big move at 29 years of age.
Having proven himself elsewhere, he’d likely hit the ground running and become a key player at Vicarage Road given last season’s disappointment.
