Watford forward Mauro Zarate has been unveiled at boyhood club Velez Sarsfield - but the paperwork for a move had not been completed at the time of going to press.

The 30-year-old cut short a season-long loan in Dubai with Al-Nasr, where he had impressed in the Arabian Gulf League since August, to move back to his home country.

He was unveiled yesterday to adoring fans in South America but the Watford Observer understands this was without permission from his parent club.

Under the terms of his season-long loan in the UAE, both Al-Nasr and Velez would be required to consent that Zarate terminate his agreement early, and Watford would also have to allow the player to make the move.

Head coach Marco Silva expressed his surprise about Zarate’s very public announcement that he was moving on from Al-Nasr after Velez had announced he was returning on loan at the end of last week.

“It is not official,” Silva said last Friday. “Something will be official when the clubs reach an agreement. For me it is new. I know, of course, what you are talking about, but it is not official.

“We didn’t talk about the situation, myself and the board, and for me it is new. Since August I’ve said it’s a position we do not have enough players in to make certain decisions and rest players.

“On Zarate, we haven’t made a decision. There is nothing official about the reports in Argentina.”