Former Watford captain Wesley Hoedt has returned to European football, signing for his boyhood club AZ Alkmaar on a free transfer.
There was a suggestion this summer that Hoedt - unattached after leaving Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabai - ought to be targeted by the Hornets, who are short of central defenders.
But Hoedt, who played for the club between January 2023 and August 2024, has now returned to his native Netherlands.
❤️🤍 It's good to have you back, Wesley!#AZAlkmaar #TheFutureIsOurs pic.twitter.com/Ezj9YSVFso
— AZ (@AZAlkmaar) September 1, 2026
He first joined AZ aged 11 in 2005, remaining with the club for 10 years before signing for Lazio in 2015.
The 32-year-old played 63 matches for the Hornets, winning the Player of the Season award for 2023/24, before being sold to the Saudi outfit.
He was released after two seasons in the middle east and has been snapped up on transfer deadline day.
Watford are set to add to their defensive options, hoping to add Udinese defender Branimir Mlacic and another centre-back before the deadline at 11pm on Tuesday night.
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