Watford's star striker Joao Pedro is leaving for Brighton & Hove Albion in a £30million deal.

What happened?

The transfer blow comes on the eve of their Championship clash against Sunderland. Sunderland are in fine form, having won three of their last four games and not lost in any of their last seven.

Why it matters for Watford

Watford has dropped out of the top half of the table after a tough run of late, with the Hornets having won just one of their last seven in the Championship. Their recent form is LLLLL, with their last result being a 0-4 loss to Coventry on 2026-05-02.

What comes next?

Chris Wilder might prefer to give a younger player or a periphery player a run out against Sunderland, as Watford is all but out of the race for the top six. Their next fixture is against Boreham Wood on 2026-07-11. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 16th | | Points | 57 | | Recent form | LLLLL |