SUPER Eagles goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has made a switch to Serie A club Udinese from English Championship side Watford.
Okoye, 23, struggled for playing time at Watford and he will hope to have a better experience in the Italian top flight after joining Udinese on a four-year deal for an undisclosed transfer fee.
“Watford FC confirms the permanent departure of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to Italian Serie A side Udinese,” the English club announced today on their official website.
“The 23-year-old initially signed for the Hornets in January 2022 before joining up with the squad ahead of the 2022/23 season.”
Okoye featured only twice for Watford last season, starting a match each in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and has lost his spot in the Nigerian national team, for whom he has made 16 appearances.
After a youth career that took him to Borussia Mönchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen and Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany-born Okoye moved to Sparta Rotterdam in the summer of 2020.
He spent two excellent seasons with the Dutch Eredivisie club, returning on loan for the second half of the 2021/22 campaign after agreeing permanent terms with Watford.
He made 61 appearances for the Dutch club and was one of their best players during his stay there.
Both Watford and Udinese are owned by the Italian Pozzo family and they have often exchanged players, including other Nigerian stars Odion Ighalo and Isaac Success, who is still at the Serie A side.
Okoye’s last appearance for the Super Eagles was in January 2022 during the 1-0 round of 16 defeat to Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
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