It wasn’t a glamorous Watford FC signing but he is seriously proving his worth: View

With the likes of Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro sold for profit, and many many others moved on either permanently or temporarily, it looked as though the Hornets were in for a busy summer.

However, this was not to be the case, with the club instead choosing to bank the cash raised from player sales, and look for shrewd moves in the market only.

This saw just six new arrivals at Watford this summer, with only two being transfers with a fee paid for.

With shrewd additions came limited excitement. Take Jake Livermore, for example.

The experienced midfielder linked up with his former boss Valerien Ismael this summer by joining the Hornets on a free transfer.

However, at 34, it did not feel like a game-changing signing, or perhaps even a good one.

In recent weeks, though, Livermore has more than proved his worth for the Hornets.

It is not so long ago that Watford were looking in a bad way.

In early October, for example, the Hornets had suffered three straight Championship defeats at the hands of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sunderland, and sat 21st in the division, hovering just above the relegation zone.

The early promising signs shown under Valerien Ismael had disappeared, and the trajectory the club were on was concerning.

In his hour of need, Valerien Ismael turned to Jake Livermore for Watford’s away trip to Cardiff, and, although the result ended in a 1-1 draw, Livermore appeared to add a real solidity to the midfield.

As such, he kept his place for the club’s next match against Sheffield Wednesday – a scrappy 1-0 win, but again, Livermore showed what he can do in terms of adding an extra defensive body into the midfield.

Livermore has now played six straight games for the Hornets, including the two above, with Watford undefeated in those matches, and collecting 12 points.

Whilst not the flashiest of players, Livermore’s introduction into the midfield has given Watford an extra layer of protection, and one that seems to be helping them pick up points in recent weeks.

Upon his arrival this summer, it seemed very unlikely Jake Livermore would be a starter for the Hornets. However, after his showings in recent weeks, he has more than proved his worth, and dare we say, may even be a key player for Watford moving forwards.

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The Frenchman was brought back to England this past summer to try and get the Hornets back to the Premier League after a combination of Rob Edwards, Slaven Bilic and Chris Wilder could not get them into the Championship play-offs.

It was never going to help Ismael that his best attackers in Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro were cashed in on and little money was re-invested into his squad, but he probably didn’t expect to be in the current position in the table that the Hertfordshire outfit find themselves in.

After 15 matches of the current campaign, Watford are in 16th position, sitting seven points below the play-offs and eight points above the drop zone, but despite being unbeaten in their last five outings, Ismael’s side haven’t really been putting in good performances, as evidenced away at Huddersfield Town this past weekend.

Simply put, they are not scoring enough and despite having the lions share of possession against the Terriers, they only got three of their nine shots on target – a figure which isn’t good enough.

Vakoun Bayo has always flattered to decieve since his arrival last summer from Charleroi, summer signing Mileta Rajovic has scored four times but is still a work in progress, whilst another recruit earlier in 2023 in the form of Rhys Healey still hasn’t really gotten going.

There is a real need for Pozzo to back Ismael when the transfer window re-opens in January 2024 to sign another striker option, and the ideal player could very well be Divin Mubama of West Ham United.

Mubama is likely to be available in the transfer window as he has turned down a new contract at the London Stadium, according to The Athletic.

The 19-year-old’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season, and there is no optional extension for the Hammers to trigger, meaning that if Mubama stands his ground, David Moyes may have to cash in on the striker.

It was thought that the teenager may get more chances this season in Moyes’ first-team after breaking through into the senior setup in 2022-23, scoring his first ever goal in the UEFA Europa Conference League against AEK Larnaca.

The feeling of Mubama being utilised more often was further strengthened when he remained at the club beyond the summer transfer window, with The Athletic since revealing that six Championship clubs were knocked back with loan enquiries.

That may be a decision that West Ham regret though for the player’s development, as it now looks more likely that he would’ve signed a new deal if he was out playing somewhere week in, week out instead of the two cameo appearances he has been given.

Championship clubs are likely to be on red alert for Mubama’s potential availability on a permanent basis and it is clear that he wants game-time, and with Watford struggling for a regular source of goals and good performances at the top end of the pitch, he could be a good fit for now and the future.