Bove takes final step before completing free Watford transfer

Edoardo Bove is having his medical in England with Watford on Monday afternoon, which is the final step before he officially joins the Hornets on a free transfer, just over a year after he suffered a cardiac arrest while on loan with Fiorentina. 

Bove is all set to return to professional football just over a year after he was taken ill during a Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. 

The 23-year-old, who had been on loan at Fiorentina from Roma at the time, collapsed on the pitch in the early stages of the Serie A match against Inter and was immediately rushed to hospital. It was later confirmed that his heart had stopped beating, which led to his having an internal defibrillator device fitted. 

Under Italian rules, Bove is not permitted to play professionally in Italy while the defibrillator is fitted. This does not prevent him from p[laying in various nations abroad, including in the UK. It is a similar situation to the one that saw Christian Eriksen leave Inter to join Brentford after suffering a cardiac arrest with Denmark at EURO 2020. 

It has been a long year for Bove, who returned to his parent club Roma, but has been unable to turn out for the Giallorossi since then. 

Last week, Bove officially terminated his contract with the Giallorossi, which means that he is now available to sign for a new club on a free transfer. 

Reports in Italy and the UK indicate that he is now close to formally completing his transfer to Watford. He is undergoing a medical on Monday, and is set to join the Hornets on an initial six-month contract until the end of the 2025-26 season, with a potential long-term option to extend. 

According to various outlets, including the Watford Observer, Italy international and Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori, a close personal friend, has played a key role in convincing Bove to join Watford. Arsenal and Watford’s training facilities are next door to each other. 

Watford’s sporting director, former Serie A journeyman Valon Behrami, has admitted that Bove is a ‘serious option’ for Watford, that he could potentially be a ‘£25m player’ and that he is good enough to play for ‘any Premier League team’.