Crystal Palace is reportedly showing “great” interest in acquiring Watford forward Kwadwo Baah, according to Africa Foot. The London club is said to be keen on signing the 22-year-old German international this summer, continuing a pattern of recruiting talent from the Championship.
Crystal Palace has previously secured players from the second tier, including Adam Wharton from Blackburn Rovers and Romain Esse from Millwall in recent winter transfer windows. Wharton reportedly made an immediate impact, while Esse is still adjusting to life at Selhurst Park. The club appears to recognize the value in strong assets from the Championship.
Significant changes have occurred and are ongoing at Watford, with Paulo Pezzolano replacing Tom Cleverley as head coach, marking the tenth new boss since the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Watford owner Gino Pozzo is reportedly in the process of selling Udinese, Watford’s sister club, for £125 million to American bidders. While this sale is not expected to have major ramifications for Watford, it is theorized that it could reduce Watford’s need to sell their top players.
This theory may be tested in the coming months as Kwadwo Baah, identified as one of Watford’s key assets, is attracting interest from a club that can offer European football next season.
Watford is reportedly in a strong contractual position regarding Baah, whose contract extends until the summer of 2029. This long-term deal, following his move from Rochdale in 2021 for a “six-figure fee,” places no immediate pressure on Watford to sell the forward, who scored four goals last season.
However, the club may face pressure to retain other key creative players, such as Giorgi Chakvetadze, who Football League World previously reported was a target for Leicester City and Wolves in December.
Despite Baah’s potential, he is not considered as established a prospect as some of the other young talents Crystal Palace has acquired from the Championship recently. Last season, he contributed seven direct goal contributions (goals and assists), which was the joint-fourth highest in Watford’s squad. While described as an “okay return,” the report notes it is “nothing to blow your socks off.”
Watford’s primary leverage in negotiations will be the length of Baah’s contract. However, the report suggests that this alone may not be sufficient to command transfer fees comparable to those for players like Esse or Wharton, as it might not be considered a worthwhile risk for Crystal Palace.
