Watford football chief Filippo Giraldi has revealed sending Valon Behrami to Udinese was a strategic decision.

Giraldi, speaking with gianlucadimarzio.com, says the Switzerland international was actually removed from Watford and placed at sister club Udinese to boost the Italians.

He explained: "Udinese has many young people of potential, they lack only continuity and so always depends on season to season.

"To prove my theory, I remind you that we gave Udinese an important player for us like Behrami to help the young players in Udine with a very experienced midfielder.

"Of course, the signings of Watford are not comparable to those of Udinese but this is another speech."