Why Watford makes sense for Bove and how Calafiori is involved | OneFootball

Edoardo Bove is close to joining Watford on a free, and is understood to have a medical on Monday. The move would place him near close friend Riccardo Calafiori, now at Arsenal.

The Watford Observer reports that Calafiori has influenced Bove’s decision to head to Vicarage Road. The pair grew up together in Roma and Italy youth sides.

Bove ended his Roma contract because Italian rules bar professionals with an implanted defibrillator. He collapsed in December 2024 while on loan at Fiorentina against Inter, his heart stopped and he later had the device fitted.

Playing with a defibrillator is permitted in the UK, as shown when Christian Eriksen left Inter after EURO 2020 to join Brentford. Watford and Arsenal’s training bases sit next to each other, so Bove and Calafiori will be in close proximity.

Owned by the Pozzo family, who also run Udinese, Watford have seen many players move between the two clubs in the past decade.

Watford are eighth in the Championship and could reach the play-offs if they win their game in hand. The move offers Bove a competitive return after early years in Europe with Roma and Fiorentina. He is set to become the third Italian in the division this season, alongside Caleb Okoli and Ephraim Yeboah.

Source: Football Italia