After securing promotion from the Championship last month, Watford have decided to start their recruitment early as they look to prepare for a return to the Premier League.

Having opted to bolster their squad by signing forward Kwadwo Baah from Rochdale, the Hornets are now set to seal a move for another prospect from the lower divisions.

According to the Watford Observer, manager Xisco Munoz is about to add to his defensive options by signing Mattie Pollock from Grimsby Town.

The 19-year-old will cost the Hornets a fee believed to be in the region of £100,000 and will sign a five-year deal at Vicarage Road.

Since joining Grimsby in 2018, Pollock has established himself as a regular member of their match-day squad.

Whilst he was unable to prevent the Mariners from suffering relegation to the National League last season, he did feature on 29 occasions for the club at centre-back.

The six-foot three defender managed to provide an attacking threat at times during the previous campaign as he found the back of the net on four occasions in all competitions.

Although Watford have decided to swoop for Pollock, it is understood that manager Xisco Munoz will be looking to loan out the teenager next season in order to give him the opportunity to play regular first-team football.

Considering that the Spaniard is able to call upon the likes of William Troost-Ekong, Christian Kabasele, Ben Wilmot and Francisco Sierralta, Pollock may struggle to get the game-time he needs to develop and thus allowing him to leave on a temporary basis may be a wise move.

GIVEMESPORT's Joshua Cole says...

This could turn out to be a shrewd signing by Watford if they treat Pollock as a long-term project as he clearly has the potential to become a classy operator in the future.

By granting the defender a temporary exit from Vicarage Road later this summer, the Hornets will give him the chance to play regular first-team football which in turn could do wonders for his development.

Having already illustrated glimpses of his talent for Grimsby by averaging the third-highest WhoScored match rating (6.91) at the club during the previous campaign, Pollock may now be ready to make the next step in his career.

Providing that he can continue to improve as a player in the coming years, there is no reason why he cannot eventually force his way into contention for a starting role at Watford.

Read More – Everything you need to know about the summer transfer window!