Watford set to confirm signing of former Southampton defender | OneFootball

Watford are set to sign Anderlecht defender Wesley Hoedt on a permanent deal this morning, according to the Watford Observer.

The 28-year-old joined Belgium side Anderlecht back in the summer of 2021, when he was sold by Premier League side Southampton.

While in England, the Dutchman made 45 appearances for the Saints, scoring just one goal and providing one assist.

The defender started his career in his homeland of the Netherlands and came through the academy of AZ Alkmaar before playing for the likes of Lazio, Southampton, Celta de Vigo, Royal Antwerp, and now Anderlecht.

Hoedt has so far made 73 appearances for the Belgian club, 15 of which have come this season. The Dutchman was in the side that played West Ham in the Europa League Conference this season.

However, he has not made an appearance in the league since the beginning of November; he was suspended for two games but has now failed to be in the matchday squad for the last five league games.

Defence seems to be a position that Slaven Bilic is keen on strengthening this month, as the Hornets are already close to signing Ryan Porteous from Hibernian and they now look set to sign Hoedt from Anderlecht.

Watford were recently thumped 4-0 by Swansea City in the league and they have only kept two clean sheets in their last six games in all competitions.

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The Verdict

It is clear to see that Bilic sees the defence as an area they must improve in if they are to be successful this season.

Porteous looks set to join, and if Hoedt joins him as well, then you could say Watford have a new defensive partnership on their hands. The Hornets are lacking in terms of depth and quality at centre-back, but it is a surprise that they are close to signing two new defenders.

No fee is mentioned in this report, so it is unclear how much Hoedt has cost them, but if it is a low-cost deal, it is probably a smart bit of business from Watford in terms of the experience he will bring.