Watford have completed the signing of striker Vakoun Bayo, the Championship club have officially announced.

Bayo has completed a move from Belgian side Gent, who he had only joined last summer, before spending the second half of last season elsewhere in the Belgian top-flight, on loan at Charleroi.

The 25-year-old scored 11 goals in 16 games during that loan spell, and he is now on the move again in the summer transfer window.

It has now been confirmed that Bayo has completed a permanent move to Watford, signing a five-year deal with the Hornets that secures his future at Vicarage Road until the end of the 2026/27 season.

This deal sees Bayo become Watford's first signing of the summer transfer window, as the club prepare for a return to the Championship following their relegation from the Premier League at the end of last season.

The striker is not a complete stranger to British football, having had a spell with Scottish giants Celtic between 2019 and 2021, where he scored just twice in 17 games.

The Verdict

This does look as though it could be a rather useful signing for Watford to have completed.

Cucho Hernandez, Andre Gray and Josh King are among those who have already left the club this summer, while Emmanuel Dennis' future is also the subject of much speculation.

As a result, it does seem as though the Hornets will need to bring in more firepower this summer, something they have started to do here with the addition of Bayo.

Indeed, if the 25-year-old can produce the sort of return he showed at Charleroi in the second half of last season, he will have a rather significant impact during his time at Vicarage Road.