Exclusive: David Prutton drops "shrewd" Watford FC transfer verdict for Peterborough agreement | OneFootball

Watford are already making their first moves of the summer, much to the disappointment of Peterborough United

Watford are poised to officially complete the signing of Peterborough United midfielder Hector Kyprianou.

The interest was first revealed by Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, who announced the Hornets had sealed a deal for the Cyprus international.

It could be something of a coup for the Championship side, given he will arrive on a free after his contract expired at the end of the season with the Posh.

Kypriano captained Peterborough during the 2024/25 League One campaign as they finished 18th, with the highly-rated midfielder making 40 appearances across all competitions. He featured on 140 occasions for Posh across a three-year spell, and will now be looking to make the hotly-anticipated step-up to the Championship in 25/26

We asked Sky Sports pundit David Prutton what he makes of the potential move.

David Prutton's verdict on Watford, Hector Kyprianou transfer

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, the EFL expert labelled the signing of Kyprianou as a "shrewd" one owing to his age and profile.

Putton noted the 23-year-old's reputation at Peterborough, which he will now be looking to translate to the second-tier with Watford.

“Watford set to land Hector Kyprianou. Yeah, good player for Peterborough. I would say that would be a shrewd signing for Watford," Prutton told FLW.

“Age of the player is good, profile of the player is good. I know that Barry Fry, Darragh [MacAnthony] and Darren [Ferguson] at the Posh are big fans of his.

“And it's unfortunate, obviously, it would be a free, but I think for him to go into a Watford side once to get into transition, is a good signing for them.

“It's just all about getting the game time, isn't it? Which is what he had with Peterborough.”

Kyprianou deserves his Championship shot

It is clear, especially given Peterborough finished in 18th in League One this season, that Kyprianou has outgrown the Posh.

Still only 23 years old, the London-born Cyprus international has already been made captain at The West Homes Stadium and has been a key component of the side’s midfield, scoring one of the cup-final goals as the club beat Birmingham City to the Vertu Trophy this season.

It was, therefore, little surprise when it was revealed that Kyprianou was not going to renew his contract with the Posh.

It means Peterborough will be hit with the double whammy of losing one of their key players and not receiving any money to replace him with, with the club not due any compensation from Kyprianou’s departure.

Peterborough could have plenty of regret this summer

Watford’s interest in the midfielder is not new, the Posh reportedly turning down over £1million from the Hornets previously for Kyprianou’s signature.

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony has admitted that was a mistake, and could leave the club with catching up to do this summer.

That won’t be helped by joint-top scorer Kwame Poku, also departing this summer on a free transfer, with Football League World exclusively revealing Birmingham are set to offer the forward £30k a week.

The Posh have built a reputation for unearthing gems, giving young players a chance, developing those talents and shifting them on for a substantial profit, never illustrated better than through their work a few years ago with Ivan Toney.

But to keep that reputation intact, selling the right players at the right time is just as important as the buying side.

Allowing top young talents like Poku and Kyprianou to reach the end of their contracts without a significant fee being sought, as MacAnthony appears to have recognised, is a mistake, and could prove to be a costly one this summer.