Watford are closing in on a triple Udinese transfer for Iker Bravo, Jordan Zemura and Martin Payero. The Championship side, currently 16th with 57 points from 46 games and five straight losses, is reviving old ties with the Serie A club.
What’s the Udinese trio transfer about?
Sky Sport Italia report Udinese are ready to send three first-team players to Watford. Striker Iker Bravo, 21, is set for a permanent move after a loan at Las Palmas. He arrived at Udinese for €600,000 in summer 2024 from Bayer Leverkusen’s youth ranks and made 41 appearances, scoring four goals with one assist.
Left-back Jordan Zemura, 26, is also on his way. His Udinese contract expires soon after joining on a free transfer from Bournemouth in 2023. Midfielder Martin Payero, 27, is the third piece; he spent last season on loan at Cremonese before arriving at Udinese from Middlesbrough in 2023.
Why does this Udinese triple deal matter for Watford?
The Pozzo family once owned both clubs, creating a steady player pipeline between Udinese and Watford. Though Watford is no longer under Pozzo control, the clubs still talk often. A triple exchange would restart that flow at a time when Watford sit 16th in the Championship, 38 points behind Coventry and five losses deep into a winless run.
Bravo adds goals, Zemura bolsters the left flank, and Payero shores up midfield. With 53 goals scored and 65 conceded this season, Watford need fresh legs across the pitch.
What happens next in the transfer race?
Talks are far along but not done. Udinese want to move high-earners before the window closes, while Watford must check budgets and wages. Their next game is a tough away trip at Stoke City on February 13, 2027, when every available player counts.
If the trio arrive, it would be Watford’s biggest inbound transfer window since Pozzo’s exit. For now, fans wait on final signatures and medicals as the clubs race against time.
Watford currently sit 16th in the Championship with 57 points from 46 games, five losses in a row, and a goal difference of minus-12.
