Young Brazilian defender Kayky Almeida has joined Watford from Fluminense, a top-tier Brazilian Serie A club.
However, a social media post by the club’s most famous supporter, Sir Elton John, has stirred up speculation, although it appears to be a complete coincidence.
Just minutes before the Almeida signing was officially announced, Sir Elton John took to social media with a simple yet direct message, accompanied by the Watford badge: “It’s time to sign some players….”
Given the timing, many fans speculated that the pop star’s message was part of a carefully coordinated PR strategy to announce the new signing. However, it seems that Sir Elton’s post was entirely of his own choosing and had no connection to the club’s official announcement of Almeida’s arrival.
Almeida, just 19 years old, has signed a long-term contract with the Hornets, which will keep him at the club until 2029. Although the young defender has shown promise, his experience in senior football is limited. Almeida has only played one minute of first-team football for Fluminense, and that was during a cup match in January. Most of his playing time has been with Fluminense’s Under-20 team, where he made 26 appearances and scored three goals over the past two seasons.
Despite his lack of first-team experience, Almeida’s signing is seen as part of Watford’s strategy to build a future-ready squad. However, he won’t be available for Watford’s opening game of the season against Millwall on Saturday. Instead, Almeida will be eligible to join Tom Cleverley’s squad from the matchday against Stoke City on August 17 onwards.
Almeida’s arrival at Watford continues a trend of transfers between Fluminense and the English club. In recent years, Fluminense has become something of a talent pipeline for Watford.
Notable players like Richarlison and Pedro made their European moves to Watford in 2017 and 2020, respectively, before securing big-money transfers to Premier League clubs. Additionally, last season saw winger Matheus Martins join Watford on loan from sister club Udinese, having previously been signed from Fluminense.
Almeida is the sixth player to join Watford during the current transfer window. The club has been active in the market, bringing in a mix of experienced players and young prospects. Former club captain Moussa Sissoko has rejoined Watford on a free transfer after his contract with Nantes expired. Exciting Irish talent Rocco Vata was signed from Celtic, with Watford paying around £230,000 in compensation.
Defender Antonio Tikvic has also joined on loan for the season from Udinese, and former goalkeeper Jonathan Bond has returned to Vicarage Road on a free transfer after spending several seasons in the United States. In addition, left-sided defender Yasser Larouci has been signed on loan from French club Troyes.
The timing of Almeida’s signing announcement and Sir Elton John’s social media post has added an extra layer of intrigue to the deal. Whether the addition of this young defender will satisfy Sir Elton John’s desire for more signings is yet to be seen. Fans will undoubtedly keep a close eye on the legendary musician’s social media accounts to see if he weighs in again on Watford’s transfer business as the window draws to a close on August 30.
With Almeida now on board, Watford’s squad is shaping up for the season ahead, but it remains to be seen if further additions will be made. As always, Sir Elton John’s support and commentary will be eagerly anticipated by the Watford faithful.
