The arrival of Krepin Diatta at Vicarage Road has been welcomed by those covering Watford closely, but according to BBC Radio 3CR's Geoff Doyle, the Championship club cannot afford to consider their transfer business finished. A midfielder, Doyle argues, is still urgently required.

Why Diatta looks a genuine coup

Doyle's assessment of the Diatta deal is broadly positive. The Senegalese wide player is understood to be a seasoned operator at the highest level of European club football, with Champions League experience and a record of featuring in every match at the World Cup for his country. That kind of pedigree, arriving on a free transfer, is precisely the sort of business that has defined Watford's recruitment model under owner Gino Pozzo.

While Diatta has been used at right-back for Senegal in recent international windows, he has operated higher up the pitch and as a winger throughout his club career. Given that Watford have suffered full-back injury problems this season, Doyle suggests his initial role at Vicarage Road may be in that defensive position, with the flexibility to push further forward as the campaign develops.

The fact that Diatta had been linked with Premier League clubs during the summer transfer window makes his decision to join the Hornets all the more intriguing, though questions remain about why he was available as a free agent from early summer. If he is operating at the level he has shown across the past six years, Doyle believes it represents a genuine addition to a Watford squad that, when fully fit, could put out a very strong starting eleven.

The midfield gap remains

Despite the optimism around Diatta, Doyle is clear that the pressing need in the squad is for midfield reinforcement. Key midfielder Edoardo Bove is not expected to return from injury until the next international break in November, and that absence has exposed a lack of depth in the engine room.

Doyle notes that the Diatta signing offers a useful indicator of the type of market Watford will look to recruit from: it is unlikely to be a British player. The Hornets, he points out, have never been inclined to pay large signing-on fees or significant wages to what the club would regard as journeymen players from the domestic market. That approach is unlikely to change under Pozzo, despite comments from chief executive Scott Duxbury and sporting director Luke Dowling in the summer suggesting British players with Championship or English Football League experience were among their targets.

Doyle finds that framing puzzling. Young overseas players acquired at value, with a view to development and eventual resale, has always been the Watford way. Whether the squad's current needs can be satisfied within that model, and within this international break, is the question now hanging over Vicarage Road.

Injury concerns during the break

With numerous Watford players away on international duty, the club will be anxious that none return to London Colney with fresh injuries. The treatment room is already well populated, and adding to the casualty list at this stage of the season would place even greater strain on a squad that Doyle describes as potentially excellent at its best but uncertain in terms of backup quality.

The coming days will reveal whether the Hornets can complete midfield business before the international break concludes, and whether Diatta's arrival proves to be the first of several smart pieces of recruitment this window or a solitary bright spot in an otherwise incomplete squad overhaul.

Frequently asked

Who is Krepin Diatta and what position does he play?
Krepin Diatta is a Senegalese international who has Champions League experience and can play as a winger or at right-back. He joined Watford as a free agent after being linked with Premier League clubs during the summer.
When will Edoardo Bove return for Watford?
According to BBC Radio 3CR's Geoff Doyle, Bove is not expected to be fit until the next international break in November, leaving a significant gap in Watford's midfield in the meantime.
Will Watford sign a midfielder in the international break?
Doyle reports that Watford are actively looking to sign a midfielder during the current international break, describing it as the club's clearest priority, though any deal is yet to be confirmed.