I suspect that it has happened because Tomas Galvez was not on the list of the Academy's new first-year scholars.
I totally understand what you're saying. There is nothing more I want than an exciting youth player comes through the ranks and becomes a mainstay in the first team but unfortunately those stupid rules that have been implemented don't help clubs like ours. Poaching players will always happen until something changes. Lawal i don't know he had some very positive comments made about him but maybe he's a Celtic fan for instance and would do everything in his power to get that move. Yes it's criminal but as i said the rulings around youth players don't help us as a club.
Fair play to Lawal and any other youngster who's left the club this summer. The Pozzo regime's handling of young players has been a joke.
But surely the rules in place which allow Man City to take our youngsters for peanuts don't apply to Celtic as they are in another jurisdiction? This is an interesting case, because there's a young keeper coming the other way, apparently quite a good one too, supposedly because they struggled for games during the pandemic. I suspect as Lawal is Irish that this is a dream move for him, although if it's not, it could be a damning indictment of our youth system as I wouldn't imagine Celtic's facilities to be on a par with what they have at Man City!
I mean, the last time we had loads of kids emerge was because we were skint and had no choice! While they looked half-decent at the time, only a few of them have gone on to be anything more than lower league journeymen, so issues with our youth system do go back further than the Pozzos. Sancho (and Kane and Saka too for the cheeky ones!) aside, if you're counting him, who's the last Watford youth product who's had a solid top level career? Mapps at a push, but the answer is probably Ashley Young...
He may have been guaranteed first team squad exposure in the cup competitions at least. It's probably easier to play a first team game for Celtic against Locomotive Highlanders in the Irn Bru Cup.
I doubt that's the case, we saw the likes Spencer-Adams and Agyakwa get a taste of first-team football, whereas Lawal was nowhere near. Lawal might be more talented than those two, but he's also younger so would have to wait a little while longer to get a sniff at Celtic you'd think (there's also no guarantee Celtic would draw some non-league team in the cup anyway). Besides, while the Scottish league is generally below even Championship level, surely there's still a risk to giving a green kid games? They're still expected to go hammer and tongs with Rangers, and still harbour hopes of doing something in Europe
Scottish football is absolute garbage. I'll be very surprised if Lawal doesn't even get on the bench for their first team this season at some point.
Considering Debayo has been called up for England in the past (albeit only training camps) and has gone to a bigger club, he's more likely to be in the first potentially good enough but just got nicked category you mention there. Actually when Debayo first got called up by England 2 years ago I half-joked in this thread: "I give it a month until he leaves for City." https://wfcforums.com/index.php?threads/academy-and-under-23s.43030/page-45#post-2770028
Looks like another one is off TheSecretScout @TheSecretScout_ Tomas Galvez Done Deal Has said his goodbyes at Watford. Waiting for official announcement from top premier league club. 16-year-old regarded one of the best LB’s in the country Boom soon
No surprise that as soon as I questioned it the cogs started turning. I'm sure word got back to Sheihk Mansour that I was on the case.
The EPPP system is ridiculous. Seriously what is the point of us having an academy when any player who is any good just gets picked up for peanuts. It is mental how much the game is stacked in favour of the teams with money, in every single way.
Signed a giant keeper from Celtic it seems . A swap deal with Lawal? https://www.watfordfc.com/news/official-watford-sign-angelini
Sounds to good to be true. Man Utd, AC Milan, Atalanta, Lazio, Southampton and Everton all wanted him. In fact United fans were convinced they were signing him, one even made a welcome to United YouTube video! We are big time.
We've currently got 18 year-old former Millwall striker Abdul Abdulmalik on trial. He was called up for a full England U17 squad 18 months ago. He was probably one of those who featured in our friendly vs Millwall yesterday. Abdulmalik rejected Millwall's offer of a new contract, though Millwall would still be due compensation. Millwall had recently rejected a £200k offer from Swansea for him. Confusingly, despite his apparent pedigree he had a trial at League One Portsmouth just before us and they didn't pick him up, though perhaps he rejected any offer or they couldn't afford him. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...ngland-17-international-Abdul-Abdulmalik.html
A Watford XI including mostly underage players, trialists and Perica and Navarro drew 0-0 to Chesham United, though our #9 smashed a penalty against the bar (Deeney disguising himself as Perica?)
I think Eoin Teggart (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eoin-teggart/profil/spieler/641075) is on trial with us.
I'd say that is exactly what he will be, won't be anywhere near the first team squad (if we end up signing him).