Watford FC first-teamer set for transfer exit to European club | OneFootball

Watford have reached an agreement to sell Ken Sema this January

Watford winger Ken Sema is closing in on a departure from the club ahead of Monday’s January transfer deadline.

According to Swedish outlet Sportbladet, the versatile 31-year-old is set to join Cypriot outfit Pafos FC on a long-term deal.

Sema has been with the Hornets since 2018, and has made over 150 league appearances for the Hertfordshire club in that time.

However, he has fallen down the pecking order under Tom Cleverley, and has featured just 14 times in the Championship so far this season, with only four starts to his name.

Ken Sema transfer latest as Watford FC exit nears

Sema is reportedly closing in on his exit from Vicarage Road ahead of Monday’s English deadline day, although the window in Cyprus ends on Friday.

Sportbladet have claimed that the 31-year-old has been offered a lucrative contract to depart Watford, in what you would presume hand the Swede more game-time.

It is understood that a permanent deal has been agreed with Watford, which will see the player end their almost seven-year association with the club.

Sema is set to sign a three-and-a-half year deal to commit to Pafos until the summer of 2028.

It is expected that he will be presented as a Pafos player in the next week, with the Cyprus club currently chasing the league title, and the prospect of European qualification for next season.

Sema’s Watford contract is set to expire in the summer, so a sale now prevents him from departing for nothing at the end of the campaign.

Sema signed for Watford in the summer of 2018 from Swedish side Ostersund, and went on to play 159 times in the league for the Hornets, 176 times in total.

The versatile player did spend a year on loan with Udienese during the 2019/20 campaign, but has otherwise been a regular presence in the first-team squad.

The 31-year-old played 41 times as the club gained promotion to the Premier League in 20201, contributing five goals and five assists to their second place finish.

His last appearance in Cleverley’s side came in November in a 2-2 draw against Plymouth Argyle - he has not been in a matchday squad since.

Now is the right time for Ken Sema and Watford to part ways

Sema has been a very useful player for Watford over the years, and he has proven himself capable in multiple areas of the pitch.

He was a key figure in the club’s promotion in 2021, and made 35 appearances in the Premier League during his time at Vicarage Road.

But his lack of recent game time, along with his expiring contract, highlights that the time is right for him to move on.

This is an exciting next step in his career, and could offer him the opportunity to experience something very different to English football.