Tiago Cukur is on loan from Watford to Doncaster Rovers for a season, the club announced this afternoon. It will be the Turkish striker’s first step in men’s football after a busy youth career.
Cukur has impressed since arriving in England, earning his first jump into the English Football League when he was just 18.
The Premier League academies usually want to keep their players locked up in the academy bubble later on, so the confidence in Cukur to tackle League One speaks for the high esteem Watford must show him.
The Dutch-born Turkish U21 international spent some time in the prestigious Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar youth system before joining the Hornets, a fascinating addition for Donny to see how he adjusts.
Watford has been excellent at finding value in the overseas market over the past few years, and they hope that the Cukur acquisition after his release from AZ will reap the rewards across the board. Cukur will be desperate to make an impact with his Watford deal at the end of the campaign.
With the new man Jordy Hiwula, Fejiri Okenabirhie and Omar Bogle, Cukur has mentors in his position who are seasoned professionals at this level. This upcoming campaign should be a great learning experience for him at just 18, regardless of his fortune on the pitch.
The judgment
Cukur is Richie Wellens’ seventh new signing this summer as they fight for a top six placement in the third division. It’s a relatively risk-free addition, Watford wants to measure its temperature in relation to the value of their wealth, and Doncaster is a smart target for that.
Josh Sims and Tyreece John-Jules put in some strong performances for Rovers as strikers on loan from Premier League clubs last season as Keepmoat Stadium remains a hot bed for young talent. The club’s reputation for promoting young players from higher levels of the pyramid is positive when it comes to advancing to League One.
Only true Doncaster Rovers fans can get 22/22 on this Donny Striker quiz – can you?
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