Watford: The "Moroccan Maradona" bought for a pittance promises a historic jackpot

The deal seemed almost too good to be true. Last July, the Hornets bet a modest sum on a teenager who had only 14 appearances and two goals with Montpellier. A few months later, this gamble has turned into a gold mine. The young Moroccan has exploded onto the world stage in Chile, guiding his country to a historic triumph in the U20 World Cup. His four assists and a goal earned him the tournament’s Ballon d’Or, a trophy that places his name alongside legends like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Sergio Agüero or Paul Pogba.

This rise to prominence is being confirmed every week in the Championship. Othmane Maamma has quickly justified the trust of his directors by scoring at Birmingham. The 20-year-old winger is savoring his new life, publicly thanking the supporters for their loud support during away games. But this lightning-fast adaptation is attracting attention: Celtic, the giant of Scottish football, is already closely following the young talent, no doubt regretting having missed the opportunity this summer.

Gino Pozzo, Watford’s owner, may have his most beautiful financial operation. The club’s model is based on this type of talent spotting: Richarlison, bought for £11 million, left for £40 million a year later; João Pedro, acquired for £2 million, brought in nearly £30 million when he left for Brighton. With an initial investment of just £1.1 million and skyrocketing prices for forwards, the future sale of Othmane Maamma could shatter all the club’s profitability records.