Newly relegated Plymouth Argyle have completed the signing of Caleb Watts from Devon rivals Exeter City following the expiration of his contract, as announced on the official Argyle website.
Watts has signed a three-year deal at Home Park.
Watts Not Repaying The Faith
After announcing the departure of Watts, an Exeter City statement shared the club’s disappointment at Watts choosing to leave after work behind the scenes allowed the 23-year-old to play more football than ever before.
“Caleb joined Exeter City in September 2023 after a difficult period of injuries. The dedication of the club’s coaching and medical departments, who worked tirelessly on his fitness, enabled Watts to play over 1,500 minutes this season, which is the most in his senior career so far.”
“While we understand this is an offer Caleb could not refuse, we are disappointed he has decided not to repay the commitment and faith shown to him during his time at the club.”
The Grecians do accept that, due to their unique fan-owned model, they are unable to financially compete with Argyle who are keen to return to the Championship at the first attempt.
“As a supporter-owned club with a unique and sustainable model, we take great pride in consistently competing at this level despite operating with one of the smallest budgets in the division.”
“We were unable to come close to matching the financial terms offered to Caleb by another club.”
Plymouth Delighted To Get Their Man
On the flip side, Argyle was pleased to announce the signing of Watts as they continue to build a squad they believe is going to be capable of an immediate return to the second tier.
Head coach Miron Muslic said of his latest capture:
“Caleb is a player who will add real depth and competition to our midfield options. He is a proven performer at League One level having made an impact for Exeter but is also still young and has so much room for growth and development.”
Argyle’s Head of Football Operations, David Fox, said:
“We are very happy to bring Caleb to Argyle. He is an energetic midfield player who can get up and down the pitch and was keen to be a part of Miron’s squad.”
Writer’s View
This is perhaps a surprising signing for a side who are looking to gain promotion but Muslic’s comments suggest Watts is unlikely to be a regular in the Argyle XI.
