Watford FC have confirmed the signing of Cypriot international midfielder Hector Kyprianou on a free transfer ahead of the 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season.

The 23-year-old, who joins from Peterborough United, has signed a five-year contract and becomes the first new addition since Paulo Pezzolano was appointed head coach.

Kyprianou, nicknamed ‘Hector the Protector’, captained Peterborough and won back-to-back Football League Trophy finals at Wembley, scoring in the 2024 final against Birmingham City.

“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,” said sporting director Gianluca Nani.

“It was important to act quickly because Hector was a player attracting huge interest from other clubs,” he added.

Kyprianou, who began at Tottenham Hotspur’s academy before making 140 appearances and scoring 16 goals for Peterborough, said, “it’s an amazing feeling to sign for this club.”

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

He has earned 10 caps for Cyprus, debuting in October 2023 against Norway, where he was tasked with marking Erling Haaland.