Watford signed Abdoulaye Doucoure from Rennes and immediately loaned the French midfielder to Spanish club Granada on Monday, the Premier League side announced.

Former France Under-21 international Doucoure agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Hornets and is reported to have cost £8 million ($11 million, 10.5 million euros)

The 23-year-old will gain further top-level experience with La Liga outfit Granada, whose shares are held by Watford owners the Pozzo family, before linking up with the Premier League team at the end of the season.

Watford chief executive Scott Duxbury said on the club's website: "The opportunity to sign Abdoulaye Doucoure now was one we wanted to act upon, given our long-standing interest in the player.

"He is very much part of Watford's future plans, and in the time between now and pre-season he'll be experiencing high-level competitive football in Spain."

A product of the Rennes academy, Doucoure made his Ligue 1 debut for the French outfit during the 2012-13 campaign.

He made 72 first-team appearances for the club and scored 12 goals.