Gianfranco Zola believes Watford have a stronger squad now compared to last season and the Hornets head coach hasn’t given up hope of re-signing top goalscorer Matej Vydra.

Vydra’s agent Ondrej Chovanec has expressed the striker’s desire to join a club in one of Europe’s top divisions on several occasions this summer and claimed it was highly unlikely the Czech Republic international would return to Vicarage Road this season.

The 21-year-old has been training with Udinese in recent weeks and with only two years left on his current deal and a host of Premier League and Bundesliga sides interested, a move was starting to look increasingly likely.

But co-owner Gianpaolo Pozzo stated Vydra will be returning to Watford earlier this summer and when asked if he had given up hope of re-signing the player yesterday (Thursday), with a smile on his face, Zola replied: “Not yet. I hope there will be a surprise.”

Even if Vydra doesn’t return to Watford, the club have strengthened significantly already this summer.

The documentation and contracts for a host of players were submitted to the relevant football authorities last week and the club are still expecting all of their pending signings to be confirmed without any issues.

Goalkeepers Manuel Almunia and Jonathan Bond have signed new contracts plus last season’s first choice defenders are still at the club, apart from Fitz Hall, and have been joined by Gabriele Angella, who has impressed greatly during pre-season and was a favourite among many Udinese fans.

Marco Davide Faraoni, who joined the Italian side from Inter Milan last year for more than £5m, and Jaime Romero have strengthened the wide areas, where Daniel Pudil and Ikechi Anya have been retained, and in the middle of the park, the likes of Jonathan Hogg, Almen Abdi and Cristian Battocchio have been joined by Lewis McGugan, Iriney Santos and Diego Fabbrini, who has also been playing out wide and can be pushed further forward.

Up front, Troy Deeney and Fernando Forestieri will face competition from ex-Real Madrid B striker Javier Acuna, who scored 21 goals in 56 appearances on loan at Spanish second division side Girona in the last two seasons.

That is not to mention the country’s leading scorer at academy level, Uche Ikpeazu, joining the club’s increasing group of highly-rated youngsters, which include the injured Tommie Hoban and Sean Murray.

Watford have also not finished in the transfer market and we understand the club are likely to target domestic players on loan during the season.

Speaking prior to being asked about Vydra, Zola said: “I think we are stronger. On paper we are stronger even though we lost important players like Nathaniel Chalobah and Matej Vydra but we believe as a team we are stronger.

“Now we have to wait and see if playing on the pitch confirms that because that is the most important thing.

“But personally I am very, very satisfied – the new players that have come in have been really good.

“Angella, Faraoni, Fabbrini – everyone is catching up with their fitness but you can see they are going to be important players.”

Hall is the only first-team regular from last season who has left the club this summer and Zola stressed the importance of being able to keep the core of the squad together.

The head coach said: “It’s massive, you can see that because from day one you step in and you can see the people are dragging everyone in the same direction, which is a very positive direction and it makes a huge difference.”