Hector's transfer from Peterborough United to Watford has been confirmed and the Championship club reveal why they had to act quickly

Last season’s Posh skipper has been a long-term target of ‘The Hornets’ and leaves London Road on a free transfer after his contract was allowed to expire.

Kyprianou, who has signed a five-year contract, told Watford’s official website: “It's an amazing feeling to sign for this club. It's a historic club, it's a massive club. I'm just buzzing to be a part of it now.

“The club matches my ambitions, which are to play as high as possible and reach the Premier League. Our ambitions align, so that is why I chose Watford.

“One of the reasons I joined is that they showed quite a lot of interest in me for a while, and for me that adds a lot of value. To know that they wanted me is a huge positive. The new manager sent me a message to say 'welcome' and we're looking forward to working with each other. It's exciting to have a new face in the building, and to start working with him.”

Kyprianou spent three seasons at London Road, scoring 16 goals in 140 appearances in all competitions. He was a key man in two League One play-off campaigns and two Wembley wins in EFL Trophy Finals. He scored a superb goal in the 2025 final win over Birmingham City.

Kyprianou is Watford’s first signing of the summer. They finished 14th in the Championship last season which wasn’t good enough to save manager Tom Cleverley’s job.

Paulo Pezzolano has replaced Cleverley. Pezzolano is Watford’s 22nd manager since Gino Pozzo became club owner in 2012. The Uruguayan was in charge of La Liga team Valladolid from April 2023 until his sacking in November last year.

Watford sporting director Gian Luca Nani added: “Hector is a player we have monitored for a while and we have been impressed with his technical ability and the passion of his game.

“Once the season ended, we asked Peterborough for permission to speak to Hector and we thank them for their co-operation in agreeing to this. It was important to act quickly because Hector was a player attracting huge interest from other clubs and we needed to move decisively.

“Hector fits the demands Paulo has for his players - intensity and a high technical and tactical awareness.”