The appearance of the name Ignacio Pussetto on the teamsheet for a Udinese friendly this week reignited the discussion about what the situation is with the Argentinian forward.

Pussetto joined in January 2020 from the Italian club for a fee believed to be around £6m, and played seven times as the Hornets were relegated from the Premier League. However, all seven outings were as a substitute and totalled 67 minutes.

The following season he played the last five minutes of the goalless draw at Sheffield Wednesday and started against Newport County in the Carabao Cup.

Then he was loaned back to Udinese and made 13 appearances, before another season-long loan last term saw him register 31 outings. With another couple of years left on his contract, and another loan looming, what exactly happened?

“We signed him, he played a few games and then Nigel Pearson decided he didn’t want to play him, and subsequently each head coach has not wanted him,” said chairman Scott Duxbury.

“The only chance we have of recouping anything of what we paid for him, or indeed more, is for him to go back to Udinese on loan. He’s popular in Italy, he played a lot of games last season and we hoped a Serie A team would come in and buy him.

“That was a benefit of having a sister club. Without that, we’d have had a player we signed where, for whatever reasons, things didn’t work out. Like thousands of clubs all over the world we’d have a player the coach didn’t want and who would be doing nothing. By loaning him back to Udinese his wages were paid and we had a chance of attracting a bid.”

Duxbury admits he can fully understand why fans may be angry and bemused at the ongoing saga.

“I get why fans would feel annoyed,” he said.

“They see us paying that money, he hardly kicks a ball and we send him straight back. I totally get that. But the loan back to Udinese was done with commercial rationale in mind because him playing in Italy was the best shop window we had.

“We won’t be the first or last club who sign a player for a fee, and it doesn’t work out.

“He’s training with Udinese and playing in friendlies. If a bid comes in, that’s great. If not, we’ll likely loan him back out again so he can hopefully attract attention in Italy.”

• One player who does look set to be loaned out is striker Kwadwo Baah. The German Under-18 international has only featured briefly in first-team pre-season friendlies and is poised to join Fortuna Dusseldorf on loan.

• Adalberto Penanranda has been at the training ground this week, working on his fitness as he also looks for a move. The 25-year-old Venezualan has played just three cup ties since moving to Vicarage Road in 2016 and spent last season on loan in Spain with Las Palmas.

• Striker Ashley Fletcher played 45 minutes of the 0-0 friendly draw at Hitchin Town on Tuesday night as he continues to seek a move.

• With three senior keepers now at Vicarage Road following the signing of Ben Hamer, it seems likely that one or both of Pontus Dahlberg and Vincent Angelini will be sent out on loan.