Watford stole £1.7m from Ipswich Town in striker transfer deal – then signed the bargain of the century.
In 2008, Ipswich Town paid Watford £1.7 million for a striker with a burgeoning reputation; not only did it not work out for them, but the Hornets didn’t need to spend any money on a more than capable replacement.
Both Ipswich and Watford experienced an unimpressive 2008-09 season, with the Tractor Boys finishing ninth in the Championship and the Hornets ending 13th.
Watford had something or someone that Ipswich sought. Tamas Priskin, a Hungarian striker, had come at Vicarage Road three years ago. He’d been a bit-part player for the first two of those three years, but in the third, he took off, scoring 12 Championship goals in one of the season’s few bright spots.
Priskin rejected to renew his contract with Watford, indicating a desire to leave Vicarage Road. As the striker’s contract was about to expire, they were forced to accept a £1.7 million bid from Ipswich for his services.
Priskin couldn’t quite get his goalscoring momentum going at Ipswich.
Priskin had been playing international football for Hungary for four years before joining Ipswich.
Despite scoring his first goal for them less than three weeks after coming in the League Cup, Priskin was unable to generate the necessary momentum and was loaned out to Queens Park Rangers.
Throughout his time at Ipswich, he struggled to get into the first team and spent time on loan at different clubs. Over three years with them, he was loaned out three times. In his greatest season at Ipswich, he made 32 appearances but only scored four goals.
He was released from his contract in January 2012, following three and a half years of no real success in Suffolk, and moved to Russia to play for Alania Vladikavkaz. His most memorable moment in an Ipswich shirt occurred when he scored the winning goal in the first leg of a Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal. However, the Gunners won the return game 3-0, rendering his first-leg triumph somewhat inconsequential.
Watford discovered a more than suitable alternative for Priskin in the bargain basement.
But what about Watford? How did they recover from the death of Tamas Priskin?
As far as I can tell, everything are going fine. After identifying Carlisle United’s Danny Graham as a replacement, a tribunal ordered them to pay up to £350,000 for his services based on appearances. Graham went on to become a Vicarage Road hit. He finished his first season as the team’s top scorer, with 14 goals.
And the following season, he caught fire. From December to January, he scored in seven consecutive games, shattering the Watford record. By the end of the season, he had scored 24 League goals, was Watford’s Player of the Year, and was named to the PFA Championship Team of the Season.
Swansea City paid £3.5 million for him, adding to their £1.35 million profit from buying and selling Tamas Priskin, minus £470,000 owing to his former club. Carlisle earned more on their 15% sell-on clause than from the original sale. It’s clear who came out ahead in that agreement.
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