Watford have confirmed that the club's one available Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) wildcard place has been allocated to Malian striker Mamadou Doumbia.

Doumbia's GBE place is due to be finalised next week, meaning he has been unable to appear for the Hornets so far this pre-season and will not be featuring in today's game with Brentford.

The 18-year-old joined in February, with the club’s official website confirming the Mali youth international had signed a five-year contract and would link up with his new teammates on July 1.

He has been seen in pictures and videos on the club’s official channels but has not featured in any of the senior or Under-21 pre-season games.

Doumbia also took part in some training sessions with his soon-to-be teammates during a short visit to London Colney in April.

The 6ft 3in left-footed Mali youth international striker celebrated his 18th birthday in February.

He previously played for Black Stars FC in his home country, and caught the attention of the wider footballing community when he scored four goals in five appearances for Mali at the Under-17 African Cup of Nations in May 2023.

He followed that up with another four goals at the Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia in November.

The striker scored a hat-trick in Mali’s opening 3-0 over Uzbekistan – who later knocked England out - which set them on their way to finishing second in their group.

Wins over Mexico and Morocco took Mali to the semi-finals where they lose 2-1 to France, having led 1-0 at half-time.

Doumbia then scored the second goal in a 3-0 win over Argentina to earn Mali third place in the tournament.

In an article last year on the website footballtalentscout.net, Doumbia is described as “a player who has the potential to become a key player in a top European club”.

The article says he is a modern-days target man with “killer instinct, great off-the-ball movement, timing, intelligence, composure, and flair in the final third”.

It goes on to say that Doumbia “in addition to his superb link and hold-up play, also knows how to turn with a player on his back and make powerful runs to beat the defensive line".

It adds he has a “great sense of positioning while receiving through balls” and is “extremely difficult to knock off the ball thanks to his strength, ability to shield the ball, and technique”.

After Doumbia’s hat-trick against Uzbekistan in the Under-17 World Cup, his teammate Ange Martial Tia said: "He’s our Erling Haaland. He can do it all.

“He’s big so he’s good in the air, but he’s also very quick for his height, particularly over distance. He helps us in so many ways."