Portuguese defender Joao Ferreira has joined Udinese on loan for the season, a move that will surprise many.

The 22-year-old only signed for Watford from Benfica in January for a fee understood to be around the £2m mark, and was the first signing driven by Technical Director Ben Manga.

He made his debut almost immediately, coming on as a half-time substitute in the 2-0 win over Blackpool at Vicarage Road on January 14.

A week later he was in the starting 11 and scored a second-half equaliser as the Hornets drew 1-1 with Rotherham.

Seven days on Ferreira started again in the 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough but limped off in the 63rd minute with what turned out to be a hamstring injury.

That sidelined the Portuguese Under-19 international for the next two months, and he returned as a second-half substitute in the miserable 2-0 defeat at Luton.

He then played the first half of another dismal game, the 3-2 defeat to Huddersfield at Vicarage Road, but picked up another injury and didn’t feature in a first-team squad again during the remainder of the season.

His last game in Watford colours was in a 1-1 draw for the Under-21s against Sheffield Wednesday in late April at Vicarage Road.

Ferreira played the second half of the recent 0-0 friendly draw at Boreham Wood, but had to play on the left rather his more accustomed right.

With Mario Gaspar having left the club, Ferreira seemed set to battle with Jeremy Ngakia and Ryan Andrews for the right-sided spot in defence.

However, his unexpected move to Italy means currently Watford’s only recognised right-sided defenders Andrews (19) and Ngakia (22).