Michail Antonio has completed a return to English football after signing for Watford on a free transfer, ending months of uncertainty over his future following a serious injury and a brief spell abroad.
The 36-year-old Jamaica international has put pen to paper on a one-year deal at Vicarage Road, becoming the Hornets' 12th signing of the summer. His arrival is pending international clearance, which could allow him to feature in Saturday's Championship clash against Stoke City.
Antonio's move brings the curtain down on a turbulent period since he last featured for West Ham. His final appearance for the Hammers came in a 3-1 loss to Leicester City on 3 December 2024, just days before he suffered a broken leg in a car accident. The injury effectively ended his time in east London after a decade at the club, during which he became West Ham's all-time leading Premier League scorer with 68 goals.
Following his release by West Ham in June 2025, Antonio worked his way back to fitness, even turning out twice for the club's under-21 side in Premier League 2 as part of his rehabilitation. He also had trials and near-misses elsewhere, training with Leicester City last December and coming close to joining Brentford before a torn calf muscle derailed that switch on the eve of signing. He later had a short stint with Qatari club Al-Sailiya, making four appearances before that spell ended in April.
His switch to Watford reunites him with English football's second tier, a level he is familiar with from spells at Reading, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest earlier in his career before his 2015 move to West Ham. Across his time in the Premier League and Championship, Antonio has amassed 410 appearances and 96 goals, experience Watford are hoping to lean on as they push for a return to the top flight.
Speaking after putting pen to paper, Antonio expressed enthusiasm for his new surroundings. "It's a good set of boys here," he said. "They are focused and ready to show their abilities this season." He added: "Watford is a big club and hopefully I can come in and bring success and help wherever I can." With a touch of humour, he also noted his history against his new club, saying: "I've scored a few goals against Watford. So hopefully I can score some for Watford now when I'm fully up to speed."
He will wear the number 18 shirt for the Hornets, who are managed by Alessio Dionisi and currently sit 12th in the Championship table after a mixed start to the season—two wins, two draws and two defeats from six matches, leaving them two points shy of the play-off places. Antonio has reportedly already trained with his new teammates ahead of the visit of Stoke City this weekend, with a trip to Bristol City following before the international break.
Meanwhile, his former club West Ham have made an impressive start under Nuno Espirito Santo, sitting second in the Championship with 11 points from six games as they target an immediate return to the Premier League. The Hammers face Wrexham next before a Carabao Cup tie against Fulham and a high-profile derby with Millwall.
Based on reporting from Independent, BBC Sport and Standard.