USMNT, Chelsea defender Caleb Wiley re-joins Watford on loan for 2025-26 Championship season

U.S. men's national team defender Caleb Wiley has re-joined Watford on loan for the 2025-26 Championship season.

The 20-year-old defender joined Chelsea last summer from MLS side Atlanta United for a fee of $11.4M (£8.5M), and spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Strasbourg in France, before suffering a shoulder injury. He then joined the Hornets on loan during the second half of the season, where he impressed across 10 appearances for the Championship side.

Now, he's back in the Championship with Watford for the upcoming season.

“The fans have been amazing since the day that I got here,” he said to watfordfc.com. “I’m very appreciative of them and the things that they do for me, and how they cheer for me. It helps me in my career and the way I perform. I’m very excited to be back here. I got a taste of what it’s like here, and what this club is about, and the potential that it has going forward.

“I said, ‘Why not run it back?’ I’m excited to see what the season holds.”

The Hornets appointed Paulo Pezzolano as their new head coach last month and are revamping their roster ahead of a push for promotion to the Premier League. The fullback is their ninth addition to the roster this offseason.

“There are some very big strikers,” Wiley added, sharing his excitement of playing as an attacking-minded fullback. “I’m looking forward to whipping in those balls and putting it right onto their heads!

“It’s good to have some new faces who can bring in some new things, and everyone can help in their own way. It’s good for this team. I’ve talked to Paulo a few times now. We haven’t done too much on the field yet, but he seems like a great guy, and he’s a good guy to be around. He’s going to take this team to the next level.”

Wiley, 20, was a member of the U23 USMNT roster at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He's been capped six times, with his last coming in September 2024. He has not appeared under Mauricio Pochettino.

“One of my big goals is staying healthy because it’s a long season,” Wiley added. “I’ll do what I can do to make sure I’m able to perform at my best. The World Cup is definitely a dream of mine. I’m going to do everything to get there, and obviously it starts here with what I’m doing at Watford. There are individual goals that I have set myself, but here, collectively, the goal is promotion. That should be in our heads.”

“We are delighted to have secured Caleb on loan once more,” said Sporting Director Gian Luca Nani. “He was impressive in the games he played for us last season and his attitude is incredible. “To have him for a full season means we have the talent and consistency Paulo wants defensively.”

Wiley and Watford begin their Championship campaign on Aug. 9 against Charlton.