What is Anthony Joshua's net worth as big Watford FC investment news emerges | OneFootball

A look into Watford-born boxing icon Anthony Joshua's net worth amid confirmed discussions about a potential investment in his hometown club, Watford.

As reported earlier this week, former boxing heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has revealed that he is in talks over a potential investment in the EFL Championship outfit and Joshua's local club, Watford.

How would the potential investment aid the club in their quest to surge back up the Championship standings?

The former heavyweight champion is Watford-born and bred, and recently revealed that he has begun to look into possible investment avenues, with the 35-year-old's boxing career set to dwindle sooner rather than later.

Anthony Joshua's net worth

Joshua carries a reported £175 million net worth, and as revealed by the boxer in an interview with Seconds Out, his local football club, Watford, is a potential pathway for investment.

"We wanted to move into private equity, venture capital funds," said the 35-year-old, adding: "As you earn, naturally you want to save, so rather than me spending recklessly, I'm trying to invest money into certain asset classes, and that was an opportunity that presented itself."

"Nothing's come of it yet. It's a serious investment. If it comes off, it's one that should do well."

Anthony Joshua's history with Watford

During his interview with Seconds Out Joshua spoke fondly of the atmosphere in Watford on match day, recalling how the town comes alive when the team was performing well: "I'm not a massive football fan myself," said the boxer, "but watching the fans steamroll Market Street and Vicarage Road were really good scenes."

He went on to highlight how a Premier League return could transform the local economy: "If they went back to the Premier League, then I'd need to get a shop on Market Street because the traffic that would be coming through Watford would be phenomenal."

Looking ahead for Watford amid investment talks

After enduring an inconsistent 2024/25 campaign, some more positive news heading into the summer months may provide an injection of positivity heading into the summer months.

FLW's Watford fan pundit Justin Beattie shared his thoughts on the potential involvement of Anthony Joshua in the club as part of Football League World's Terrace Talk series. His full comments can be found here.

“AJ getting involved would certainly bring profile and positive PR, which is something that we've missed at Watford for quite a while,” Justin told FLW.

“And whilst his reported net worth isn't quite at the level needed to transform a club financially, it doesn't mean it couldn't be beneficial.”

"Sometimes they spark useful conversation about the club's direction and appeal, and even if nothing comes of it directly, having someone with Anthony Joshua's reach expressing interest could open doors or attract other potential backers. So while I'd stay realistic, there's no harm in being cautiously optimistic about these things.”

Hornets aim to re-adjust following late slump

However, despite a period of strong form earlier in the season, with whispers of a potential playoff finish arising, the Hornets eventually whimpered to a 14th-place finish, just a single place higher than their 2023/24 effort.

Following the theme of recent years, Watford have failed to sustain a serious promotion challenge since their relegation to the Championship in 2022.

The last five league finishes for the club can be found below.

It has been three years since Premier League football was last on show at Vicarage Road, and Watford are aiming to avoid becoming a consistent Championship outfit.

Despite the late slump, there have been positives to take for Tom Cleverley at the helm, and securing investment from an elite athlete in Joshua would be a great step forward, not just regarding potential financial benefit, but as an overall PR move.

Joshua, still out of competition following his KO loss to Daniel Dubois last September, is heavily linked with the next steps in his career, and an exciting partnership between himself and his boyhood club could prove a prosperous venture for all involved.