Watford have confirmed the permanent signing of Ecuador full back Juan Carlos Paredes.

Paredes joins the Golden Boys on a five-year contract from fellow Pozzo-owned club Granada, subject to international clearance.

The 27-year-old appears to have only joined Granada to ease through his move to Watford because he only signed for the Spanish side this summer from Ecuadorian outfit Barcelona Sporting Club.

The Hornets had been confident of securing his signature for more than a month and last week we reported how the terms had been agreed.

However, at that stage it was unclear whether he would be coming directly from Barcelona or via Granada or Udinese.

Paredes, who turned 27 last week, played every minute of his country's World Cup campaign, as they finished third in Group E.

The defender, who can play across the backline, has spent the whole of his career in his native country, also featuring for Rocafuerte, Deportivo Cuenca and Deportivo Quito, where he won the league title in 2011.

Udinese, who like Watford are owned by the Pozzos, had been keen on signing the player for more than six months and he reportedly attracted interest from clubs around Europe prior to the World Cup.