Ismael Kone has completed his permanent move to French Ligue 1 club Marseille.

Watford announced the deal had been concluded last night for an undisclosed fee, but we understand it could be worth up to £15 million for the Hornets.

Kone is currently playing for Canada at the Copa America but we reported on Wednesday that an agreement between the two clubs had been reached and the move was expected to be finalised once the midfielder had agreed personal terms.

The Watford Observer understands Kone made it clear he wanted to leave Vicarage Road this summer and the Hornets acted swiftly in light of this.

Although there was reported interest from other clubs, the deal with Marseille was thought to be the best on offer in terms of valuation and up-front payment.

It means Watford have realised a profit of around £10m for Kone, who cost in the region of £4m when he signed from Montreal in December 2022.

Like Joao Pedro last summer, the move has also been completed before June 30 which means the fee received can be included in the annual accounts for the year ending June 2024.

Kone scored four times in 63 appearances, including a fine curling effort in the 3-3 draw at Plymouth on New Year’s Day.