Watford transfer news: Pussetto aims for immediate impact as he becomes Pearson’s first signing

Watford have made their first signing of the January transfer window, bringing Ignacio Pussetto in from Udinese.

Nigel Pearson’s men are on the comeback, having lifted themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time this season with a recent victory over Bournemouth. The Hornets will want to continue their good form and bringing in new blood like Pussetto is certainly a great way to kick the team up a gear.

Watford confirm Pussetto signing: Five things to know…

• Watford have signed Argentine winger Ignacio Pussetto from Udinese on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
• Watford and Udinese are both owned by the Pozzo family, and all in all, 31 players have joined the Hornets from the Italian side in one fashion or another (not all have gone on to play for the English side).
• Pussetto is 24 years old and can play on both wings as well as up-front. He has played 14 times for Udinese so far this season (starting just three times), scoring 1 goal.
• Watford are currently 17th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone.
• Pussetto hasn’t featured too much this campaign for Udinese, but the Argentine clocked up over 2,000 minutes in 2018/19 as Udinese finished 12th in Serie A.

Watford’s situation is precarious right now. The Hornets have done well under Pearson and have fought their way off the bottom of the table, but there are tricky fixtures to come and any new signings will need to make an immediate impact.

In that sense, Pussetto may seem strange as they already have a solid trio of wingers at the club in Gerard Deulofeu, Roberto Pereyra and Ismaila Sarr.

Can Ignacio Pussetto help Watford?

And, of course, it seems extra strange that Watford haven’t yet invested funds in their troubled back-line. Fans have often lamented the state of Watford’s defence. The Hornets have conceded 34 goals and even though they’ve improved under Pearson, they still need to tighten up at the back because they’ve only scored 20 goals, the joint-least in the league.

But that is exactly why Pussetto makes sense. The better Watford’s attacking play is, then the less pressure there is on the defence to constantly keep clean sheets. With Pussetto able to play on either flank and even up-top, should Pearson revert to a front two, competition for starting spots will really ramp up. Everyone will know they have to keep producing if they want to stay in the side.

Competition for places always leads to improved performances, especially over the short-term, and that is exactly what Watford need right now. The man himself is determined to start getting minutes under his belt immediately, telling the club’s official website: “It is very important for me to get into the team as soon as possible and I’m very excited to start right away.”

Can Watford beat the drop this season?

• Watford managed to squeeze out of the relegation zone for the first time this season after Pearson’s men beat Bournemouth 3-0 on Sunday.
• That result has lifted the mood at Vicarage Road but Watford remain in uncertain territory with just one point separating them from the bottom three.
• If you think the Hornets will continue on this positive run under Pearson, William Hill give Watford a 2/7* chance of staying up.
• But, if you feel that Watford’s recent form has just been a flash in pan and they will slip up at some stage, you can get odds of 5/2* for them to get relegated.
• For Watford to dramatically nosedive and finish bottom of the Premier League, William Hill are offering 14/1* for that particular scenario to unfold.

*All odds provided by William Hill, Squawka’s partner for the 2020 January transfer window. You have to be 18+ to gamble. For more information, go to GambleAware.org