Report: Watford clinches £2.3M deal for Fiorentina's Zarate
Mauro Zarate is about to get a fourth shot at English football.
Having previously represented Birmingham City, West Ham, and Queens Park Rangers, the 29-year-old is expected to complete a modest £2.3-million transfer to Watford, according to the Guardian's Fabrizio Romano.
The player should put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half year contract in the coming days, Romano reports.
Zarate has made a single Serie A start for Fiorentina this season, despite scoring twice off the bench against Lazio and Napoli last month.
He joined La Viola in the 2016 January transfer window from West Ham, where he also struggled to impose himself and earn regular minutes.
A loan move to QPR for the 2014-15 campaign failed to re-ignite his Premier League career.
Zarate's first taste of English football came in 2008 with Birmingham. A journeyman who's played in four different leagues, he also spent time at Al-Saad, Lazio, Inter, and Velez Sarsfield.
The Argentinian has never been prolific outside of his native country. His 13 Serie A goals for Lazio in 2008-09 remain his highest league output.
But Watford manager Walter Mazzarri is desperate for attacking reinforcements. Troy Deeney and Etienne Capoue are the Hornets' leading scorers with five goals.