Tom Dele-Bashiru Ends Seven-Year Watford Stay With Greek Transfer
English Championship club Watford have confirmed the departure of former Nigeria U23 international Tom Dele-Bashiru, bringing an end to his seven-year association with the Hornets.
In a statement published on the club's official website, Watford announced that the midfielder has completed a permanent move to Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki.
The 26-year-old has signed a three-year contract with the Greek club that will keep him at the Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium until June 30, 2029.
Dele-Bashiru joined Watford in the summer of 2019 after leaving Manchester City's academy and went on to make over 70 appearances for the Hornets across all competitions.
His most productive spell came during the 2024/25 season, when he established himself as a key member of the squad. The midfielder announced his arrival in style by scoring just 33 seconds into Watford's Championship opener against Queens Park Rangers before finishing the campaign with eight goals.
One of his most memorable moments came in February 2025, when he scored in Watford's 2-0 victory over local rivals Luton Town.
To aid his development, Dele-Bashiru also enjoyed loan spells with Reading in England and Turkish side Gençlerbirliği, gaining valuable first-team experience with a combined 69 appearances and contributing several goals and assists.
On the international stage, the Manchester-born midfielder initially represented England at Under-16 level before switching his allegiance to Nigeria.
He featured for the Flying Eagles at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, scoring for Nigeria during the tournament, and later represented the Olympic Eagles at the 2019 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Tom is the elder brother of Super Eagles midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who currently plays his club football in Europe and has become a regular member of Nigeria's senior national team.
The move to Aris Thessaloniki offers Tom Dele-Bashiru a fresh challenge as he looks to revive his career in Greece and establish himself in one of Europe's competitive domestic leagues after seven memorable years at Vicarage Road.
