Watford star set for top flight transfer - his "end product" won't be missed at Hornets | OneFootball

Giorgi Chakvetadze is expected to leave Watford this summer, with a move to Udinese a possibility.

Once again, a summer of change is on the cards at Watford, with Alessio Dionisi named as the new head coach for the 2026/27 season.

The Italian coach will inherit a Hornets squad that struggled last season as they finished in the bottom half, but there are some talented individuals in the group.

Yet, there will be a high turnover of players in the summer, and it will be interesting to see what the team looks like when Watford line up for their opener against Southampton on August 16.

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Giorgi Chakvetadze set for Watford exit in the summer window

One player who is expected to be on the move is Giorgi Chakvetadze, with the attacking midfielder having spent the past three years at Vicarage Road.

Despite his undoubted technical quality, he has had an inconsistent time for the club, although injuries haven’t helped either.

In the previous campaign, Chakvetadze failed to find the net in 29 appearances, and it seems a fresh start is in the pipeline, as reports have claimed that a switch to Udinese is a ‘distinct possibility’ for the 26-year-old.

Obviously, the link between the clubs due to the Pozzo family means this will be a straightforward deal to do, even if it will raise questions about whether Watford will be getting the best value for one of their better players.

And, when that was put to Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie by FLW, he admitted that the link to Udinese was inevitable, but he feels now is the right time for Chakvetadze to move on, as he was critical of his output given his ability.

“Chakvetadeze doesn’t want to play another season in the Championship, which, I guess, is fair enough," Justin told FLW.

"To hear he may be going to Udinese won’t come as much of a surprise to Watford fans, as a lot of players swap between the clubs due to the ownership.

“At one point, he had Premier League clubs looking at him, with Everton and Wolves possibly mentioned, but obviously, he had an injury towards the end of the 2024/25 season, and he didn’t come back into the team in late Autumn last season.

“If you look at his stats, some assists and goals, but not as many as he should’ve got. So, I think Watford fans will be disheartened that he’s leaving, but, at the same time, now is probably the time for him to go.

“His end product isn’t always good enough, but let’s hope he does well at Udinese. Chakvetadze is an easy on the eye as a player, but his end product is well below what it should be, even for Championship.”

Watford must add more creativity and goals to the team this summer

There’s no doubt that Chakvetadze is an excellent footballer, but the reality is that he doesn’t do enough where it matters in the final third, as zero goals and three assists last season is simply not good enough.

Of course, that’s not all on Chakvetadze, and there is an argument to say that he could have done more in a more stable environment with a head coach that knows how to get the best out of him.

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Third Round - Watford v Chesterfield - Vicarage Road, Watford, Britain - January 6, 2024 Watford's Giorgi Chakvetadze in action with Chesterfield's Miguel Freckleton Action Images/Matthew Childs

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But, if he is not totally committed to the club, then a summer exit is the right move, and the appeal of joining Udinese in Serie A is obvious.

So, this is something that you would expect to happen, and, if it does, Watford must target quality to replace the Georgian international.

The Hornets’ recruitment has been an issue in recent years, which is something that must change, and they particularly need to add more goals and assists to the group, otherwise it could be a difficult season under Dionisi.