FILE – A Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016 file photo of Everton’s Gerard Deulofeu during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Everton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England. Barcelona says Gerard Deulofeu is joining Watford on a loan until the end of the season. Barcelona says the English club will be paying the winger’s salary and a possible add-on of one million euros ($1.2 million). (AP Photo/Rui Vieira, File)
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona says Gerard Deulofeu is joining Watford on loan until the end of the season.
The English club will pay the winger’s salary and a possible add-on of one million euros ($1.2 million), Barcelona said on Monday. No details on the add-on were immediately available.
The 23-year-old Deulofeu joined Barcelona as a nine-year-old in 2003, making his first-team debut at 17 in 2011. He was loaned to Everton and Sevilla, and signed by the English club in 2015. Two years later, he moved to AC Milan, and was re-signed by Barcelona this season.
He was touted as a potential replacement for Neymar after the Brazilian left for Paris Saint-Germain in the offseason, but gradually faded from the starting lineup after lackluster performances.
Barcelona eventually boosted its attack by signing young France forward Ousmane Dembele and Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho.