Etienne Capoue leaves Watford for Spanish club Villarreal in a permanent deal with the ready midfielder to team up with former Arsenal manager Unai Emery at the La Liga club
- Etienne Capoue joined Villarreal for an undisclosed amount after leaving Watford
- The 32-year-old made 181 appearances for Watford after joining the club in 2015
- Move will see Capua working with former Arsenal manager Unai Emery
- Emery rebuilds his reputation in Spain after being fired by the Gunners
Etienne Capoue left Watford after the midfielder made a permanent transfer to the Spanish team from Villarreal for an undisclosed fee.
The Frenchman seemed keen to join former Hornets coach Javi Gracia in Valencia this summer, but a transfer did not materialize.
The 32-year-old played 181 games for the Hornets after joining Tottenham in 2015, for a fee of around £ 6.3 million, which was a club record at the time.
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Etienne Capoue (left) has left Watford to join Spanish club Villarreal on a permanent contract
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A statement from Watford confirmed his departure.
Etienne Capoue left Watford after making a permanent transfer to Spanish La Liga club Villarreal for an undisclosed amount.
“The Hornets thank Etienne for his efforts over the past five and a half years and wish him the best for the future.”
The club also released a tribute video featuring their best highlights from their time in Hertfordshire, with the caption: ‘Thank you Etienne’.
Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery has impressed at Villarreal and hopes to finish in the top four
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The Frenchman has made 11 appearances for Watford this season, his last outing for the Hornets being their 1-0 win over league leaders Norwich City on Boxing Day.
He scored 14 goals during his time on Vicarage Road and was named Player of the Season at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.
The Hornets finished 11th this season and also reached the FA Cup final, losing 6-0 to Manchester City at Wembley.
Capua first came to England when he joined Spurs from the French side of Toulouse for £ 10 million in 2013.
Capua will replace Vicente Iborra, who will miss the rest of the season due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury
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The Frenchman will join former Arsenal manager Unai Emery at the Spanish club and is expected to replace the injured Vincente Iborra.
The Spanish midfielder will miss the rest of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Real Betis in early December.
Emery is rebuilding his reputation after being sacked by the north London club in 2019 and leading Villarreal to fifth place in La Liga, five points behind leaders Atlético de Madrid.
The next stop for Emery’s men is a home game against Levante on Saturday.
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