Watford’s search for a new striker option is over with the season-long loan signing of Daniel Jebbison from Bournemouth.

The 6ft 3in forward gives head coach Tom Cleverley a new option for the key forward position in the 3-4-2-1 formation the Hornets play, and provides competition for the likes of Mileta Rajovic and Vakoun Bayo - the latter having been sold to Udinese but then loaned straight back.

“Daniel has a real ‘threat-in-behind’ pace, and he’s fearless," said Tom Cleverley.

“He is non-stop and really relentless with his movement and pressing. Having him gives us another angle to go at things from.

“But the guys we have already are doing a fantastic job and Daniel will have to earn the shirt rather than be given it.”

Jebbison only joined Bournemouth on July 10, but the Premier League club always planned to loan him out.

The 20-year-old’s contract with Sheffield United ran out at the end of last season and he moved to Bournemouth, who paid a £1.5m training fee for him.

He played and scored for them against Girona in pre-season and then, with the departure of Dominic Solanke to Spurs, Jebbison was in the squad for the Premier League games with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle, coming off the bench in both.

On Wednesday night he played the first 45 minutes in their Carabao Cup tie against West Ham.

Jebbison joined Sheffield United in 2018 as a schoolboy and scored three goals in 35 appearances for the club across all competitions, between loan spells at Burton Albion and Chorley.

In 2021 he became the youngest player to score on their first Premier League start - against Everton aged 17 years and 309 days.

He was part of the Blades side that won automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2023 but last season made just one appearance after struggling with injury and illness before Sheffield United were relegated back to the Championship.

Born in Canada, he moved to England with his family when he was 13 and lived in Derby before joining the Blades Academy two years later.

He has been capped by England at Under-18, Under-19 and Under-20 levels.

When he signed for Bournemouth last month, chief executive Neill Blake said: "We're very pleased to have Daniel sign a long-term deal with us. He has many promising attributes and has already provided some memorable moments in his young career so far."

Earlier in the summer, both Leeds United and Sunderland were reported to be a long list of clubs keen to take Jebbison on loan.

Shortly after the striker joined the south coast side, their experienced defender Lewis Cook told the Bournemouth Echo: “He definitely looks like a handful. I was marking him in training and it was tough!

“He’s tall, quick, good with his feet. I think if you’ve got those components, you’re always going to be a handful.”