•  Mileta Rajović, Watford’s new signing, has already made an impact with a brace on his full debut, showcasing his goalscoring instinct and attacking positioning.
•  Standing at 6ft 3, Rajović brings an aerial and physical presence to Watford’s forward line, which will trouble Championship defenders and align with the team’s philosophy of long balls and high pressing.
•  While Rajović will be a key figure for Watford’s goal threat, he faces competition from fellow signings Rhys Healey and Vakoun Issouf Bayo, as well as midfielders who will be expected to contribute in terms of creating and scoring chances.

Watford made six summer signings with a certain new striker potentially the most exciting of the lot.

Valérien Ismaël has been kept busy since his appointment this summer with lots of action occuring before a ball was even kicked.

Star duo João Pedro and Ismaïla Sarr both departed this summer to Brighton and Marseille respectively with the former Barnsley boss tasked with replacing the lost goals, flair and creativity.

It would be more than just two players leaving Vicarage Road this summer, though, with numerous experienced names such as Dan Gosling, William Troost-Ekong, Craig Cathcart and Christian Kabasele all shown the door.

The Hornets replenished their defensive unit, meanwhile, with the signings of Jamal Lewis and Jake Livermore, the latter reuniting with his old head coach from his time at West Brom. Elsewhere, Tom Ince and Giorgi Chakvetadze look to provide creativity in numbers in the forward areas while Toulouse striker Rhys Healey adds competition for the number nine spot.

Hoping to stand in his way, however, is Mileta Rajović, the man on the scene already stealing the headlines.

Who is Mileta Rajović?

Rajović arrived in Hertfordshire this summer on a five-year deal from Swedish side Kalmar FF after impressing in Scandinavia.

The towering centre-forward came through the ranks at native clubs Brøndby IF and Randers FC before making the plunge into senior football with a brief introduction at B.93 in Denmark.

The Dane later moved to HB Køge and FC Roskilde before finding his feet at Næstved Boldklub, scoring 30 goals in 58 matches to help his side secure promotion to the Danish second-tier in the 2020/21 season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for his efforts.

A glistening reputation in his home nation, Swedish top-flight club Kalmar FF came calling at the end of last year, ready to take on the Allsvenkan.

In 20 league appearances, he scored seven times for Röda bröder as well as recording a goal in the Europa Conference League this term against Armenian outfit Pyunik.

A late move in the window, however, presented the opportunity to move to England – Watford signing their new forward in the last week of the window in hopes of maintaining his goalscoring heroics in the Championship.

What will Rajović bring to Watford?

While it is still very early days, Rajović is already off the mark in a Watford shirt, bagging a brace on his full debut in a 3-3 affair against Coventry City.

Rajović showed a true goalscorers’ instinct for both goals, getting free of Joel Latibeaudiere for the first goal before poking home on the volley from Tom Ince’s delivery. His second, once again demonstrated his attacking positioning, pressing high as intended from Ismaël to be in the right place at the right time for Vakoun Issouf Bayo’s cutback after capitalising on a poor back pass from a Sky Blues defender.

Naturally, at 6ft 3, he also offers an aerial and physical presence which is likely to cause even the best Championship defenders trouble and will be something the Watford boss will be aiming to maximise.

Ismaël expressed his love for such an imposing figure in the final third at Barnsley with the loan signing of Daryl Dike, scoring nine goals in 19 games for the Tykes, before bringing him to the Hawthorns permanently the following season. The need for height and intensity is often key with a love for long balls and high pressing key components of his philosophy.

It will be crucial not to place too much pressure on the new man, however, with the 24-year-old still adapting to the daily challenges of Championship football. The Hornets will want to utilise his growing confidence in front of goal though, with Imrân Louza the top scorer still in the Watford ranks from last season with five goals.

What competition Mileta Rajović face?

While the likes of João Pedro and Ismaïla Sarr scored 21 Championship goals between them last term, that is not to say all pressure lies on Rajović’s shoulders.

Fellow signing Rhys Healey demonstrated his back in the second tier of France with Toulouse, scoring 33 goals across two seasons, winning title and promotion to the top-flight in the 2021/22 season.

A season-ending injury last term, however, ended his rich vein of form with the former MK Dons man slowly reintroduced with just one EFL Cup cameo so far.

Vakoun Issouf Bayo, meanwhile, is the other suitable number nine as he heads into his second season at the club.

The 26-year-old made nine starts from 24 outings last term, finding the back of the net on four occasions and has gone on to start all but one league fixtures so far this season.

Goals will be expected and needed from the midfield also to lighten the load, Imrân Louza, Tom Ince and Matheus Martins the likely options to create and score chances as the Hornets look to reassert themselves into the play-off equation.