Chelsea aren’t the only team to loan out a host of players… just look at what Watford have been up to recently
Last season 15 players were away from WD18 on loan and already three have sealed temporarily moves this summer
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EARLIER this summer Watford lost Sven Kums to Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee.
But most Hornets supporters wouldn’t have batted an eyelid.
That’s because he never played a minute for Watford.
In fact, it’s unlikely he ever touched down in the UK.
Kums isn’t the only one... teenage forward Aly Malle also moved onto pastures new this summer after a year’s "service", as did Uche Agbo.
The star of the 2015 Under-17 World Cup, Malle spent his Watford career on loan at Granada – previously an unofficial sister club to the Hornets – before joining Udinese, who share the Pozzo family with Watford as owners.
Agbo, meanwhile, completed the "Pozzo hat-trick" by spending time with Granada before joining Watford and Udinese.
This summer he "left" England for good to join Standard Liege.
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Last season 15 players were away from WD18 on loan and already three have sealed temporarily moves this summer.
We asked Football Whispers who they are and if they’ll ever grace the Vicarage Road turf.
Obbi Oulare
Signed: August 2015
Watford appearances: 3
SNAPPED up from Club Brugge for £10million after the Hornets were promoted to the Premier League, big things were expected of the Belgium Under-21 international.
But Oulare did not meet with the expectations of the then-head coach Quique Sanchez Flores and played just five minutes in the Premier League in 2015-16.
Last season was spent on loan at Zulte-Waregem, where the 21-year-old managed just 84 minutes and a solitary goal, before switching to Willem II where he netted three in 11.
Oulare’s adventures continue at Standard Liege this season.
Pervis Estupinan
Signed: July 2016
Watford appearances: 0
ANOTHER signed last summer, Estupinan was immediately loaned to Granada a month after Hornets owner Gino Pozzo sold the club to Chinese businessman Jiang Lizhang.
Estupinan, along with Agbo and Malle, was unable to prevent Granada from relegation under Tony Adams.
The Ecuadorian Under-20 international spent the first half of the season at Granada’s B team making 21 appearances and scoring twice.
He stepped up the first team in the second half of the season but played just twice as the Andalusians were relegated.
He’ll spend the new season at Almeria.
Dennon Lewis
Signed: July 2008
Watford appearances: 0
THE 20-year-old Londoner joined the Hornets as an 11-year-old and has made his way through the club’s academy to turn professional in 2015.
Lewis, who can play on the wing or at wing-back, spent last season on loan at National League side Woking, making 34 appearances in all competitions and scoring four times.
He has linked up with Harry Kewell, his former Under-23 coach at Watford, this season by joining League Two’s Crawley Town on loan.
Will any of them make the grade at Watford?
IN all likelihood, no. But that’s par for the course.
Watford’s owner, Gino Pozzo, first became involved in football at Italian side Udinese who are owned by his father, Giampaolo.
The club’s model was, and remains, to buy low and sell high. Using their global scouting network, the Pozzos recruit players from all over the globe.
The Pozzos have enjoyed great success in South America, in particular, unearthing Alexis Sanchez when he was playing in Chile before they sold him to Barcelona for £25m.
Other success stories include Slovenian goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, now at Inter Milan, as well as Juventus quartet Mauricio Isla, Mehdi Benatia, Kwadwo Asamoah and Juan Cuadrado.
Just one of those and all the cannon fodder which passes through Vicarage Road will be justified.