OFFICIAL: Barcelona Winger Gerard Deulofeu Completes Loan Move to Watford Until End of Season

OFFICIAL: Barcelona winger Deulofeu moves on loan to Watford until the end of the season

FC Barcelona and Watford Football Club reach an agreement on the loan of Gerard Deulofeu until 30 June 2018. The agreement sees the English team cover his salary and a potential add on of one million euros.

110 games and three trophies

The Catalan winger will continue his development as a footballer with Watford Football Club until the end of this season. He started out as a nine-year-old at La Masia in 2003. From these beginnings, he impressed as a blaugrana and eight years later, in 2011, he made his debut for Luis Enrique’s Barça B team. In April of that year, when he was 17 he was called up to the first team by Guardiola. However, it wasn’t until August 2011 that he made his first team debut. 

After alternating between FC Barcelona and Barça B, the Club loaned him out to Everton in 2013. At the age of 20 he returned and was then loaned to Sevilla FC and he played for Unai Emery. He was then signed on a permanent basis by Everton and spent two seasons there in which he played 37 times and scored twice. Following this, he moved to AC Milan and his good performances in Italy earnt him a return to FC Barcelona, where he has played 17 games and scored twice. 

The winger from near Girona has played a total of 110 games for the first team and the B team. With the first team, he has won the league and two Spanish Supercups. In the 2011/12 season, he was the top scorer for Barça B with nine goals. He will now move to Watford Football Club in the Premier League until the end of this season.

SOURCE: All Football

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Hornets Hard Fought Against Foxes to End Winless Run

Watford came from behind to end a seven-game winless run and beat Leicester City 2-1 in their English Premier League clash at Vicarage Road on Boxing.

Match summary

Two late first-half goals from Riyadh Mahrez and former Leicester defender Molla Wague set up a tense second-half fixture.

However, it was a Kasper Schmeichel own-goal in the 65th minute that settled the game as Watford ended their miserable run without a win.

Full report

Watford welcomed an in-form Leicester side high on confidence after earning a point at Old Trafford with ten-men on Saturday.

The Foxes were unbeaten in seven successive away matches in the Premier League and already secured three points more on the road than in the entirety of last season.

While Marco Silva's surprise package of the season suffered four straight defeats in the league and were in danger of dropping into the bottom half of the table.

However, as displayed since Silva's arrival, the Hornets showed the fighting spirit once again that made them one of the most exciting sides in the division.

After a scrappy start to the encounter with a few clear-cut chances, the game sprung into life just before the half-time whistle.

First Mahrez netted a rare headed goal in the 37th minute after meeting a Marc Albrighton cross at the far post to beat goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Then on 45 minutes, former Foxes loanee Molla Wague found a timely equaliser against Claude Puel's side. The Mali international defender who was earning his first start of the season, scored a simple tap-in from close range as the visitors made a hash of clearing a defensive corner.

Exciting forward Richarlison nearly put the home side ahead before the end of the half, but his fierce effort shuddered off the post with Schmeichel beaten.

And in the second-half, Abdoulaye Doucoure, who was having a poor game by his standards, forced a winner to end his side's barren run.

Tom Cleverley's free-kick deep from midfield found the Frenchman at the back-post and somehow he managed to head the ball into the area from the tightest of angles - before ricocheting into the net off Schmeichel's body.

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Troy Deeney Fails On Red-card Appeal

Watford 29-year-old striker Troy Deeney was sent off in the 33rd minute at Vicarage Road on Saturday for a late challenge on Terriers forward Collin Quaner from behind.

David Wagner's side were 2-0 up at the time of the dismissal and they went on to record a 4-1 sounding victory though both teams finished the game with 10 men after Jonathan Hogg received his marching orders on 61st minute for a second yellow card.

Deeney, who has already served a three-match ban earlier this season for violent conduct following an altercation with Stoke midfielder Joe Allen, contested the sending-off which was upheld by the Football Association on Tuesday,

Hornets head coach Marco Silva must do without his skipper for the games against Brighton, Swansea, Leicester and Manchester City.

The club confirmed the news on Twitter, saying: "#watfordfc has learned from The Football Association that its appeal lodged against Troy Deeney's red card on Saturday (Dec 16 v Huddersfield Town) has been unsuccessful.

"Troy will therefore serve a four-match ban covering the games Dec 23, Dec 26, Dec 30 & Jan 2."

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