Super Eagles Star Etebo Confirms He Was Supposed To Join Watford Instead Of Stoke City

Following a successful medical at the Cemtro Clinic, Super Eagles midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo has completed his move to Spanish La Liga side Getafe, signing a six-month loan deal until the end of the 2019-2020 season, with a purchase option.

Etebo was unveiled to the media and fans on Thursday and one of the questions he was asked by the journalists present was his decision to join Stoke City in the summer of 2018, rather than Getafe, who had expressed interest in his services after a successful loan spell at Las Palmas from Portuguese setup Feirense.

The former Warri Wolves star has confirmed an exclusive report by allnigeriasoccer.com in July 2018 that Watford were in pole position to sign him before he was snatched from under the noses of the Premier League side.

"To be fair, after the World Cup I was supposed to go to Watford. While we were preparing for the World Cup, the officials of Stoke City flew down from England to Austria and then they approached me,'' said Etebo.

"The target of the team is to go back to the Premier League because they have spent a lot of money and it is a good team. It is a big team, it is a Premier League team.

"All the same, it doesn't work out well, so as we all know to play in the Premier League is a good thing just as to play in the Spanish League. I had to inform them to allow me go since Getafe wanted me.

"I didn't go to Stoke City because of the money or because the contract was big or they pay that much, it's just because I felt it was an opportunity for them to go back to the Premier League".

Allnigeriasoccer.com understands that Etebo turned down Watford because they did not guarantee him playing opportunities and the contract offered to him by the Premier League side was nothing to write home about.