Jerome Sinclair Reportedly Signs Watford Pre-Contract

Ever since young striker Jerome Sinclair signed on with agent Aidy Ward last summer, that he would end up leaving Liverpool in fairly short order seemed a near certainty. What followed were rumours linking the 19-year-old with half the biggest clubs in Europe. And Watford.

Today, to the surprise of absolutely no one, he has reportedly signed a pre-contract with Watford that will see him join the Hornets in the summer. Liverpool will be owed compensation, and after asking for a fee of £3M if Watford wanted to sign Sinclair in January, are likely to ask for that much again now.

Watford refused to pay that in January, even though it would have allowed them to bring Sinclair in six months earlier, and will likely refuse that again, meaning the case will almost certainly head to a tribunal to determine Liverpool’s compensation for a player who has been in their academy since he was 14.

Once considered one of Liverpool’s most promising youngsters, Sinclair has struggled to crack the first team despite numerous injuries suffered by strikers over the past two years. Since he made his first appearance in the League Cup in 2012, Sinclair has gone on to make four further first team appearances.

Those include two appearances in the league in 2014-15 and two in the FA Cup this season. For a time, there were also rumours linking the player to Aston Villa, but Watford—who should be safe to remain in the Premier League—represent a far more appealing landing spot for the 19-year-old.

At Watford, Sinclair could stake a claim to third choice at striker behind Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo, a platform the player will hope will allow him to prove his worth in the Premier League.