Watford sign former Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck on free transfer

Watford have signed former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck on a free transfer.

The 28-year-old has agreed a deal at Vicarage Road after leaving Arsenal at the end of last season, when his contract expired.

Welbeck has not played competitive football since suffering a horrific broken ankle in a Europa League match against Sporting Lisbon in early November.

The striker, who can also play as a winger, needed two operations to repair the damage to his ankle but recovered in time to travel with the Arsenal squad to last season’s Europa League final against Chelsea.

Welbeck was a hugely popular figure at Arsenal and will provide a natural goal threat, as well as pace in attack, under Javi Gracia. Watford’s interest in the forward dates back to last year, when they made it known to Arsenal that they were keen on adding him to their squad.

He was a part of the England squad which reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, playing in the group stage loss to Belgium. In total, he has scored 16 goals in 42 appearances for his country.

Welbeck joined Arsenal from Manchester United, where he had scored 29 goals in 142 appearances. He cost Arsenal a fee of around £16 million in 2014, going on to score 32 times in 126 matches for the north Londoners.

Welbeck has been working on his fitness this summer, despite not having a club, and will jump straight into Gracia’s squad, even if he may need to rebuild his match sharpness before making his debut.

Watford are confident of completing a deal for Rennes winger Ismaila Sarr, who could join in a club-record deal of around £25m. Earlier this summer they signed defender Craig Dawson from West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £5.5m.