Why Watford have made a blunder by completing a deal for this 32-year-old

According to reports, Watford have taken up the option to extend Miguel Britos’ contract, meaning he will remain at the club until the summer of 2019.

The Uruguayan, 32, has made 68 appearances for Watford since signing from Napoli in 2015. But he managed just 10 Premier League starts last season as he was sidelined for three months with a foot injury.

Watford didn’t have a very good season in the Premier League last term, and the same could be said of Britos. Britos was a shadow of his former self in the 2017/18 campaign. He started the season brightly by scoring a last-gasp equaliser in his die’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool at Vicarage Road. But his form tailed off as the season progressed.

Although Britos spent much of season on the treatment table due to a foot injury, he hardly inspired or made an impact on the pitch under Marco Silva and then Javi Gracia. There was always hesitation in his decision-making, while his presence hardly encouraged Watford’s defence.

The Hornets conceded 64 goals in the league last season and Britos was part of the dismal defence, while also included the likes of Craig Cathcart, Younes Kaboul, Christian Kabasele, Adrian Mariappa and Sebastian Prodl.

After a decent 2016/17 campaign, Britos was expected to come better last season but he failed to make a mark. The Uruguayan showed lack of pace and basic defensive nous when he was given a torrid time by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah during the Reds’ 5-0 hammering of Watford in March.

Salah left Britos sprawling on the Anfield turf after just four minutes to open the scoring for Liverpool. The pattern continued throughout the game, with the Watford defender enduring a nightmare time against the jet-heeled Egyptian international, who scored four times in the game.

While Britos was brutally exposed by Salah in March, the Uruguayan centre-back also gave a glimpse of his reckless tackling earlier in the season.

It was a horrific red-card tackle on Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert which could have ended the Frenchman’s career. Luckily, Knockaert didn’t suffer any serious damage but Britos was rightfully sent off and banned for the next three games.

It wasn’t the first time Britos displayed his recklessness while defending. When he arrived at Watford three years ago, Britos was already suspended for head-butting Alvaro Morata in a game between Napoli and Juventus. As things stand, he has now been sent off four times while playing for the Hornets.

After an injury-ravaged season which was also filled with indecisive defending and rash tackling, Watford have made a poor decision in extending Britos’ contract for another year.