Michail Antonio Joins Watford on Free Transfer
Watford have rolled the dice on experience and personality, confirming the signing of former West Ham United forward Michail Antonio on a free transfer.
The 36-year-old has agreed a one-year deal at Vicarage Road after spending the past month training with Alessio Dionisi’s squad. He will wear the number 18 shirt and becomes Watford’s 12th signing of a busy summer.
“Watford is a big club and hopefully I can come in and bring success and help wherever I can,” Antonio told the club’s website.
From car crash to Championship return
Antonio’s route back to English football has been anything but smooth.
His final senior appearance for West Ham came in a 3-1 defeat at Leicester City on 3 December 2024. Four days later, he suffered a broken leg in a car crash, an injury that abruptly halted his decade-long spell in east London and cast doubt over the next chapter of his career.
Released by the Hammers in June 2025 after 10 years of service, Antonio initially returned to the club to continue his rehabilitation, even turning out twice for their under-21 side in Premier League 2 as he edged towards fitness.
A short stint followed with Qatari side Al-Sailiya, where he made four appearances, his last coming in April. That spell ended quietly, but it kept him on the pitch and opened the door for a return to England.
Near misses before Watford move
Antonio’s comeback trail almost took him elsewhere in the Championship and the Premier League.
He trained with Leicester City in December and came close to joining Brentford. That move collapsed in brutal fashion: a torn calf muscle the day before he was due to sign for the Bees ended the deal before it started.
Watford have now stepped in, backing his fitness and know-how as they look to sharpen their attack.
Clearance the final hurdle
The club have announced the deal subject to international clearance. If the paperwork lands in time, Antonio will be available for Saturday’s Championship home match against Stoke City.
Dionisi’s side sit 12th in the table after six games, with a perfectly balanced record of two wins, two draws and two defeats. It’s a platform, not a statement. They need an edge in both boxes.
Antonio’s CV suggests he can still provide it. Before his move to West Ham in September 2015, he carved out a reputation as a powerful, direct attacker in the EFL with Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest. At West Ham he became a cult figure, a forward who bullied defences and scored important goals, then reinvented himself more than once as the team evolved.
Now comes a different kind of challenge. New league. New manager. A club trying to climb out of mid-table habits.
If the body holds up, Watford have added a proven, streetwise forward to a squad still finding its identity under Dionisi. If it clicks, Vicarage Road might just be the stage for one last surge from one of the Premier League’s most recognisable forwards.
