Morocco U-20 attacker Othmane Maamma completes transfer to Watford

Morocco’s youth national teams enjoyed strong showings at the U-17 and U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and U-20 national team attacker Othmane Maamma is the latest to earn a transfer with his move to England’s Watford FC.

The French-born forward arrives from Montpellier after the club was relegated to France’s Ligue 2. Maamma joins for an undisclosed fee, signing a contract with English second tier side Watford until 2029.

Even if Montpellier finished dead last at the conclusion of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 campaign, Maamma benefited by gaining valuable top level experience with twelve appearances in Ligue 1. After scoring his first professional goal in the 2023-24 season, Maamma added another in late January by scoring the match winner in Montpellier’s 2-1 victory at Toulouse.

While gaining early experience with Montpellier caught the attention of many clubs, Maamma’s name grew in notoriety through his performances with the Morocco under-20 national team. He started in four of Morocco’s five games at the 2025 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations where the North African team reached the final of the tournament in Egypt before losing to champions South Africa.

Watford finished 14th on the EFL Championship table this past season and will look to improve on their position in the upcoming season. The club located close to London in the county of Hertfordshire experienced a difficult campaign but managed to maintain a midtable position despite many injuries.

With the English second tier a proven level for rising talents to establish themselves, Maamma will experience a high level of physicality that will give the winger a preview of what to expect as he attempts to continue his rise in European club football.