Watford FC: Fresh update emerges in Wesley Hoedt, Trabzonspor transfer saga | OneFootball

Wesley Hoedt continues to be pursued by the Turkish side

Turkish outfit Trabzonspor have upped their offer for Watford defender Wesley Hoedt in a bid to try and take the Dutchman to the other side of Europe.

That's according to Turkish news outlet, Karadeniz Gazete, who claim that the Süper Lig side have upped the ante in terms of the price they are willing to pay for the 30-year-old Dutchman.

The Hornets are continuing a rebuild of their own under Tom Cleverley in what will be the ex-midfielder's first full season in the Vicarage Road dugout, with some star names already departing or on the verge of seeking pastures new.

Cleverley impressed during his interim spell towards the back end of last season, and whilst Watford were never really in any danger of relegation to League One, a 15th-place finish - just six points ahead of the relegation places - marked the club's lowest ebb since the 2009/10 campaign.

Despite an inconsistent period since falling out of the Premier League in 2022, failing to mount a bid even on the top six in both seasons, Hoedt has been one of a handful of players in said time frame to emerge with any credit, which explains such a keenness of interest from Trabzonspor's point of view.

The latest in Trabzonspor's pursuit of Watford defender Wesley Hoedt

The side managed by former Turkiye boss, Abdullah Avcı, first emerged as admirers of Hoedt's last week, as per a report from Sabah Spor, which claimed that negotiations between them and the Championship side had commenced.

Furthermore, it was stated by reporter Hasan Tuncel that Avcı had gave the potential transfer a "positive report" as they look to tie down the 30-year-old to a deal at the Şenol Güneş Spor Complex Papara Park, amid a major influx of new signings that includes former Manchester City centre-back Stevan Savic, ex-Hull City midfielder Ozan Tufan and John Lundstram, formerly of Sheffield United and Rangers among others.

It was then claimed by Dirlis Postasi that Hoedt's move to the Istanbul-based side would be confirmed in the coming days after an agreement between the two clubs had reportedly been reached, before 61Saat gave an update that the Hornets were yet to make a decision on the matter on Tuesday.

However, a fresh update has since emerged in this long-winded transfer saga, with Karadeniz Gazete stating that Trabzonspor have upped their bid to a figure of €1.5m from a previous valuation of €1.2m, as they now await a response from the Hertfordshire side in their pursuit of the former Southampton centre-back.

Not many would have foreseen the impact Hoedt has gone on to have in this part of the world since agreeing an two-and-a-half back in January 2023 for a reported maximum cost of £800,000 from Belgian side Anderlecht.

However, the man who once set Southampton back £15m under Mauricio Pellegrino has been a revelation at the heart of the Yellows' defence alongside the likes of Ryan Porteous.

His ability in both boxes was proven last season, with three goals scored as well as keeping 13 clean sheets, unsurprisingly winning the club's 'Graham Taylor Player of the Season' award, with one of those strikes being a remarkable 40-yard effort in a 2-1 victory over Hull City last December.

Wesley Hoedt departure would be another source of Watford frustration

It would be a damning blow for Watford to lose yet another influential member of the dressing room, but with Hoedt earning an estimated £20,000 per week and only having a year left to run on his current deal, this window presents the best chance of the second tier side making a profit on the aforementioned investment of 18 months ago.

However, it means yet another area of the squad needs significant surgery after Ismael Kone's departure to Marseille was confirmed, whilst Yaser Asprilla was reportedly set to move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad as of last week, but there's seemingly been no movement on that yet.

All three players were cornerstones in the side last year, and Watford fans will be hoping that significant fees and the freeing of wages is put to good use in what remains of the summer window, or the club are at risk of continuing to stagnate in the middle reaches of the Championship table.