Man City controversy highlights why Watford will make serious profit on £125k deal: View | OneFootball

The forward had an equaliser ruled out as the Hornets went down 2-1 to the Premier League Champions in the League Cup

Kwadwo Baah sent the away end at the Etihad Stadium into raptures on Tuesday night, only to see what looked like a perfectly legitimate goal ruled out.

Having picked up the ball on halfway, the 21-year-old bulldozed his way into the penalty area, with his strength and quick feet beating Manchester City defender Kaden Braithwaite all ends up.

As the two players went shoulder to shoulder, Baah emerged the strongest, before rifling an effort past Stefan Ortega in the hosts’ net, only to see the referee blow up for an infringement.

Although the goal may not have stood under controversial circumstances, Baah’s trickery and persistence - which he showed throughout his time on the pitch against the Premier League Champions - proved just what a talent the Hornets have in their hands.

Watford wait for Kwadwo Baah debut has been well worth their time

Baah originally made the move to Vicarage Road as an 18-year-old in 2021, as he joined the Hornets from then-League One side Rochdale, with a fee of £125,000 said to have been on the table at the time.

Having been on the books of Crystal Palace as a youngster, the forward opted for a move to Hertfordshire instead of a number of other Premier League clubs who showed an interest, with Manchester City said to be one of those interested.

Since then, Watford fans have had to bide their time waiting to see the young talent in action, with stints at Fortuna Dusseldorf and Burton Albion helping him find his way in the professional game.

But new boss Tom Cleverley has immediately put his faith into the young star, with the League Cup being his place to shine so far, as well as coming on as a substitute in four of the Hornets’ opening six league matches of the season.

After netting in his first outing of the season against MK Dons in the earlier rounds of the competition, the 21-year-old thrived on the biggest stage once again on Tuesday night, with the City defence run ragged by the young star’s energy and enthusiasm.

Baah was continually causing Pep Guardiola’s side issues when he was on the ball, with his power and direct running style proving too hot to handle, with his disallowed goal just one of many impressive forays forward into enemy territory.

It speaks volumes that there were many coming away from the away end wondering why their side hadn’t drawn level with a team that had the likes of Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, John Stones and Kyle Walker playing, with Baah central to a lot of the promising periods of play in the final third.

Kwadwo Baah proves he has what it take to make it at the top

Every time Watford fans get a further glimpse of Baah they can’t help but be impressed with what they see, and Tuesday night’s clash at the Etihad was just the latest example of that.

The young star has only played 70 minutes in the Championship this season, but his willingness to engage defenders and run at them gives Cleverley [pictured] a perfect out ball when he is on the pitch, with his power and pace often proving too hot to handle.

Having signed a five-year deal with the club upon joining from Rochdale, Baah still has two years left on his current deal at Vicarage Road, but the early signs may prove that an extension would already be worth talking about.

With his latest showing proving that he has a bright future in the game, it is surely only a matter of time before the exciting prospect gets a regular run of games in the Watford first-team, with Championship defenders likely to be running scared every time he gets on the ball.

If he continues in the same vein of form as he has started, it will be no surprise when clubs start to take a serious interest in the young talent, with Watford set to make a massive profit on a player they snaffled for a measly six-figure fee.