[themaclad]

Watford have signed Colombian forward Jorge Cabezas Hurtado for an undisclosed fee on a six-year contract.

The 19-year-old will move to Vicarage Road from Colombian second-tier side Real Cartagena next summer.

Hurtado played for Colombia's under-19 side in this summer's Maurice Revello tournament in France.

He scored in their 2-1 group stage win over Japan and netted a penalty in a shoot-out victory over Comoros as his side finished fourth overall.

[themaclad]

Watford have agreed to sign Canada international midfielder Ismael Kone on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The 20-year-old will move from Montreal on 1 January for an undisclosed fee, having played in all three games for Canada at the ongoing World Cup.

He was born in the Ivory Coast, but his family moved to Canada when he was a child and he now has nine senior caps.

Kone made 32 appearances for Montreal in 2022 as they finished third in North America's Major League Soccer.

He came on as a second-half substitute in each of Canada's group games in Qatar as they were beaten by Belgium, Croatia and Morocco to finish bottom of Group F.

"I think it was in September that my agent spoke to me about the project. I always knew it could be a good second step in my career," he told the Watford website.

"It (the World Cup) was good experience and I'm looking forward to more. As a midfielder, you have to want the ball and not hide, and that's a part of my game that I like."

[themaclad]

Watford have signed midfielders Matheus Martins and Leandro Bacuna.

Curacao international Bacuna, 31, has signed until the end of the season after leaving Cardiff City in July.

Brazilian Martins, 19, was linked with a move from Fluminense to Udinese, the Italian side that the Hornets' owners - the Pozzo family - also control.

A loan move to Watford had been expected but when contacted, the club would not confirm the terms of Martins' arrival or who he has joined from.

Fluminense confirmed Martins' departure but did not state the name of the club the Brazil Under-20 international had joined.

Watford have said Martins, who featured 51 times for Fluminense and scored six goals for the Brazilian top-flight side, is already training with Slaven Bilic's side and will complete his registration with the Championship club when the transfer window opens in January.

Former Groningen, Aston Villa and Reading midfielder Bacuna is available to face Huddersfield on Saturday having joined as a free agent.

[themaclad]

Watford have signed Portuguese defender Joao Ferreira from Benfica for an undisclosed fee.

The 21-year-old has agreed a four-and-a-half-year contract at Vicarage Road, having spent the first half of the season on loan at Rio Ave.

Ferreira is a former Portugal Under-19 international and made his first-team debut for Benfica in January 2021.

Ferreira could make his Hornets debut in Saturday's home Championship game against Blackpool.

[themaclad]

atford have signed Benfica striker Henrique Araujo on loan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old has featured for Benfica in the Champions League this season, and scored in their 6-1 win at Maccabi Haifa in November as they pipped Paris St-Germain to top Group H.

The Portugal Under-21 forward is the second player to join Watford from Benfica in January after Joao Ferreira.

Araujo's move is subject to international clearance.

[themaclad]

Nigeria defender William Troost-Ekong has confirmed he will leave Watford after three seasons with the Hornets to play for Serie A side Salernitana.

Troost-Ekong made 68 appearances for Watford after joining from Udinese in September 2020.

The Super Eagles vice-captain announced the news on Instagram, where he thanked the Pozzo family, who own both Watford and Udinese.

The 29-year-old has joined Salernitana - who are currently 17th in the 20-team Serie A - initially on loan, with an option for a permanent move.


Report
"The moment has come for me to move on... after three special seasons shared with everyone involved," he wrote in his post.

The centre-back thanked "everyone at the restaurant, security workers, volunteers at the stadium to the medical & office staff" as well as the coaches and team-mates, together with "the Pozzo family for believing in me."

He said Watford had given him "a chance to achieve my boyhood dream of playing in the Premier League."

[themaclad]

Watford have signed striker Britt Assombalonga on a six-month contract, with an option for a further year.

The 30-year-old returns to English football following a year and a half in Turkey with Adana Demirspor.

Assombalonga made four appearances for the Hornets early in his career before spells with Peterborough, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough.

He is a DR Congo international and is the fifth signing made since the January transfer window opened.

Watford are fourth in the Championship following Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.

The club has not disclosed whether any fee was paid for Assombalonga.

[themaclad]

Championship side Watford have signed defender Wesley Hoedt from Belgian club Anderlecht for an undisclosed fee.

The 28-year-old Netherlands international has agreed a deal until the summer of 2025 with the Hornets.

Hoedt scored four goals in 73 appearances for Anderlecht after joining from Southampton ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

The former AZ Alkmaar and Lazio centre-back featured 45 times during his four-year spell with the Saints.

His time with the Premier League club included loan spells with Celta Vigo and Royal Antwerp and a season back at Lazio.

Hoedt is available for Watford's trip to face Reading in the Championship on Saturday.

[themaclad]

Watford have released former Barcelona forward Rey Manaj from his contract by mutual consent.

The 25-year-old Albanian agreed a three-year deal when he arrived last summer for an undisclosed fee.

But he has only made seven appearances, largely because of injury, and scored once in a 1-1 draw away to Birmingham City early in the season.

Meanwhile, the Hornets have left loan recruit Kortney Hause off their squad list for the rest of the campaign.

The 27-year-old is on a season-long loan at Vicarage Road from Aston Villa, but played the last of his three games for the club in September.

Each club can register up to 25 players over the age of 21 and his name is not among the 24 confirmed by Watford for the remainder of 2022-23.

Midfielder Dan Gosling, who suffered a serious Achilles injury against Bristol City in November, has also been omitted from the squad.

[themaclad]

Brighton have agreed to sign Brazil forward Joao Pedro from Watford for a club record fee of just under £30m.

The 21-year-old joined Watford in 2020 and has scored 24 goals in 109 appearances, including 11 this season for the Championship side.

He will join Brighton in the summer on a contract that runs until June 2028.

"Joao has been a long-term target of ours and has also attracted a lot of interest from across Europe," Brighton technical director David Weir said.

"He's a brilliant young talent with an eye for goal. He will complement our existing forward line very well."

The Seagulls are also close to agreeing a deal for Liverpool midfielder James Milner.

Brighton face Everton in the Premier League on Monday as they continue their bid for European football next season.