Watford sign German-Togolese defender Omar Traore from Udinese on long-term deal

Watford have signed German-Togolese right-back Omar Traore from Udinese on a permanent deal, with the 28-year-old agreeing a contract at Vicarage Road until June 2029.

The defender moves to the Championship club after a short spell with Udinese, having joined the Serie A side from Bundesliga outfit Heidenheim earlier in July. Traore is primarily a right-back but has extensive experience across Germany’s professional tiers and European competition.

Born in Osnabruck and standing at 1.87m, the right-footer has accumulated close to 90 appearances in the Bundesliga and more than 80 games in Germany’s 3. Liga, as well as outings in the DFB-Pokal and the Europa Conference League. He arrives at Watford with over 6,600 minutes of top-flight German football behind him.

Traore’s career has been built steadily through the German system, progressing via Osnabruck’s youth teams and Eintracht Braunschweig’s under-19s before senior spells with SV Rodinghausen, KFC Uerdingen and VfL Osnabruck, where he won promotion to the 2. Bundesliga and lifted the Lower Saxony Cup.

He has also collected honours including the German Under-19 Cup with Eintracht Braunschweig’s youth side, the Westphalia Cup and the Regionalliga West title with Rodinghausen, underlining a track record in successful teams.

Traore, whose current market valuation is €2m, now begins a new chapter in England with Watford, committing his peak years to the club under a deal running through the 2028-29 season.