Watford have signed Burnley striker Andre Gray for a club record fee of £18.5 million, ending speculation that the forward was set to join West Ham.
Gray, who had recently refused to sign a new contract at Burnley, had long been a target of West Ham as manager Slaven Bilic was looking to bolster his attacking options, but has now completed a shock move to the Hornets.
The former non-league hitman had a solid first season with Burnley in the Premier League, finding the net 9 times and attracting plenty of attention with his performances in the latter half of the year. While The Clarets were reportedly keen to hold to a player they considered to be vital to their success next year, they were unable to prevent Gray from leaving the club.
Gray now overtakes Roberto Pereyra as Watford’s most expensive ever player, with the Argentine signing for the Hornets last summer for just shy of £15 million.
