The protracted move to sign Cameroonian defender Kevin Keben has finally been completed, but he arrives at Vicarage Road with an injury.

The 20-year-old had to undergo a second medical after the first showed he had a minor knee issue.

It was initially feared Keben would need so long to recover that he might not be fit until the new year.

However, having been sent to Spain for a second opinion, it’s now felt he could be ready to play by October and so the Hornets have completed the signing for a fee of around £850,000.

“Kevin is a very exciting young defender that we’ve had our eye on for a while, and certainly since last season finished,” said Tom Cleverley.

“We identified him as a target, not only as a potential really top player but also someone who can help us straight away.

“He has a small knee issue so he won’t be someone who is available straight away but we expect him to be ready towards the end of next month or the start of October.

“He brings us on-the-ball qualities but also real pace in that back line which is what we’ve been looking for.

“We have Angelo Ogbonna on board, and the lads that are playing currently and doing a fantastic job, but we’ve been stretched in that area of the pitch.

“When you play three at the back you need five or six, and so now we have that five or six and I’m really happy.”

Born in Cameroon, Keben moved to France when he was only two-years-old and by the age of five he started playing football for regional team Toulouse Montaudran.

When he was 10, Keben joined the Academy system at Toulouse and then progressed through the age groups of the French top-tier club.

He played for their Under-19s in the 2019/20 season, and then made his senior debut the next year when he played in the French Cup tie against Aubagne when he was 18.

Keben spent the 21/22 campaign with Toulouse B, making 11 appearances, all of which were as a starter.

In 22/23 he split his playing time between the first team and the B team.

His 11 senior appearances in that campaign in Ligue 1 saw him start four times and come off the bench on seven occasions.

He started eight times for the B team, and captained the side on one occasion.

Last season he made 11 first-team appearances, eight of them as a starter, and clocked up 683 minutes of senior football.

That included two appearances in the Europa League against Benfica and LASK.

He played in three of Toulouse’s final four league games of the season, helping them beat a L’Orient team that included Imran Louza and then playing the full 90 as Toulouse claimed a notable 3-1 win away at Paris St Germain, who had Kylian Mbappe in their team.

The defender has played twice for Cameroon Under-23s, both appearances coming in qualifiers for the 2023 Under-23 African Cup of Nations.