Factfile: New Watford Striker Vakoun Bayo

Watford’s newest recruit Vakoun Bayo has already acquired years of footballing experience around the world in his young career, and is now preparing for his first campaign in England.

Here are all the details you need to know about the 25-year-old, who signed for the Hornets earlier this week on a five-year deal, and made his first appearance in yellow in Saturday’s pre-season clash against Cambridge United…

Name: Vakoun Bayo
Age: 25
Position: Striker
Former Clubs: Stade d’Abidjan, Étoile du Sahel, Dunajská Streda, Celtic, Toulouse (loan), Gent, Charleroi

While Bayo started his career in his native Ivory Coast, a move north to Tunisian side Étoile du Sahel followed in 2015, where he remained until 2017 and won a league title in 2016. His career kick-started after a move to Europe, joining Dunajská Streda in Slovakia.

Bayo, nicknamed ‘the Crow’, immediately became accustomed to Slovakian football, scoring on his home debut against Spartak Trnava. After a promising half-season having signed in March 2018, the Ivorian bagged 10 goals in 16 league games in 2018/19, as well as three goals in four UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The striker averaged a goal every 50 minutes in the cup too, finding the target five times in four games.

The recent arrival scores with both feet and is a regular assist provider, but it is in the air where he has proven to be prolific. Nine of Bayo’s 22 goals in Slovakia were with his head, as well as five out of 13 at French side Toulouse.

Bayo’s loan move - that eventually became permanent - to RSC Charleroi garnered considerable success for club and player at the back end of the most recent campaign. Signed from Jupiler Pro League rivals KAA Gent, Bayo netted 11 in 16 for the Zebras.

Despite being ineligible for play-off games against his parent club, the attacker provided four goals and an assist in four games, helping Charleroi to third place in the Play Off II.

Joining fellow Ivorian Hassane Kamara at Watford, Bayo will hope to add to his two caps won in 2018. Aged 22, the forward came off the bench twice against the Central African Republic in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, replacing current Burnley forward Maxwel Cornet and former Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia for Les Éléphants.