Watford have announced they have signed Chelsea midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah on a five-year deal until June 2022.
The 22-year-old spent the 2012/13 campaign on loan with the Hornets but has now made the decision to break away from boyhood club Chelsea on a permanent basis as he seeks regular playing time.
Chelsea were keen for Chalobah to sign a new long-term deal ahead of the upcoming campaign but the central midfielder turned down their attempts to force through a move to Watford for an initial £5m fee.
Watford manager Marco Silva has made a conscious effort to sign young English players having already brought Derby midfielder Will Hughes this summer.
Both Hughes and Chalobah turned out for England at the U21 European Championships this summer and now the duo will look to forge a partnership at club level.
Chalobah featured 10 times in the Premier League last season for champions Chelsea but was forced to wait until May before making his first ever league start, which incidentally came against Watford.
For more stats on Nathaniel Chalobah, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
