"Isn't really a concern" - Watford, Angelo Ogbonna worries eased ahead of imminent arrival | OneFootball

The Italian is expected to join the Hornets in the coming days, with Tom Cleverley looking to replace Wesley Hoedt.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Watford have made an extremely impressive start to the season, winning all three of their opening league fixtures, while pushing aside MK Dons in dominant fashion in the first round of the Carabao Cup.

In fact, there has not been too much to worry about for the Hornets, despite a pre-season that caused nerves heading into the 2024/25 campaign.

In his first role in management, Tom Cleverley has got his Watford team playing in an exciting fashion, scoring for fun, and looking solid defensively.

However, the sale of Wesley Hoedt to Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab - while expected - has put somewhat of a dampener on things as the transfer window nears its conclusion.

The 30-year-old was a constant for Watford in 2023/24, playing in all but two Championship games and winning the club's Player of the Year award.

Yet, there is still hope for Cleverley as former West Ham United centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is expected to move to Vicarage Road in the coming days after becoming a free agent, according to the Watford Observer.

Angelo Ogbonna is set to replace Wesley Hoedt's crucial experience at Watford

The 36-year-old will be sure to try and make an impact in Hertfordshire when he makes his debut in yellow-and-black.

The Italian made nearly 250 appearances for West Ham across nine years, helping the club to European glory in 2023, playing in every round of the Hammers' UEFA Conference League journey, apart from the semi-finals where he missed out in the first-leg due to illness, before watching on from the bench as Pablo Fornals secured the Premier League side's place in the final.

He is still much loved in East London, and although he perhaps lacks the legs to keep up with top flight football, he has proven in recent years that he is still competent and will be a leader in this Watford team.

FLW's Watford Fan Pundit, Justin Beattie, is excited about the signing, and believes that he will improve Cleverley's side in the short-term.

"I think the signing of Ogbonna is a good one - we do need that experience at the back," Justin told Football League World.

"Having spoken to some West Ham fans, they still highly rate him, which is encouraging.

"His age isn't really a concern, as long as it's a short-term deal.

"Lots of people are talking about it, lots of Watford fans are discussing it, and they all think it's a good signing, so I’m happy to go with the majority on that.

"Let's see how it goes."

Angelo Ogbonna's age could be a worry among the Watford fanbase

Although with age comes experience, it could also hamper his ability to keep up with the speed of the Championship.

As time passed at West Ham, the Italian became less and less involved on a regular basis, making just 11 appearances in the Premier League in his final season - starting only seven times.

This lack of action will have taken a toll, and with Ogbonna not having a standard pre-season due to his free-agent status, he will lack sharpness on arrival and may take a few weeks before he comes into the Watford starting XI.

And whilst many fans would prefer younger players to be given a chance on the while, Moussa Sissoko is already proving what an experienced head in the team can provide, and Ogbonna could potentially add more positivity with his assured head.