A former Liverpool defender has made a swift return to English football after his latest move was officially confirmed today.
Yasser Larouci – who played just twice for our first team (both in the FA Cup in January 2020) – has now joined Watford on a season-long loan from Ligue 2 side Troyes with an option to buy, with the Hornets announcing the deal on Thursday afternoon.
The 23-year-old also had a temporary spell in England last term when he was at Sheffield United, but he made only 13 appearances as the Blades made a meek and immediate return to the Championship, the division in which he now finds himself for the upcoming campaign.
We are pleased to announce the signing of left-footed defender Yasser Larouci on a season-long loan from French Ligue 2 side Troyes, with the deal including an option to buy.
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) August 1, 2024
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Larouci’s time at Liverpool is perhaps best remembered for a notorious incident in a pre-season friendly against Sevilla five years ago, when he was the victim of a horrendous challenge by Joris Gnagnon which led to the Algerian being stretchered off and the perpetrator – who was red-carded – issuing a public apology.
Having been involved in relegation with both Troyes and Sheffield United over the past two campaigns, he’ll hope for an emphatic reversal in fortunes with Watford in 2024/25.
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He’ll have another Anfield alumnus as a teammate at Vicarage Road in Tom Ince, whose sole competitive first-team appearance for the Reds came on a night of ignominy, namely the League Cup penalty shootout defeat at home to Northampton in 2010.
Neither he nor Larouci managed to establish themselves at Liverpool, but both will be striving to play their part in what they hope will be a season which earns them a crack against Arne Slot’s side for 2025/26 in the form of promotion from the Championship.
Here’s hoping that the Algerian left-back proves to be a success for the Hornets under ex-Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley.
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