WATFORD were poised last night to complete a trio of transfer deals, parting company with three strikers.

Nathan Lowndes joined St Johnstone in a £50,000 deal; Dai Thomas was set, subject to a medical, to move to Cardiff for a £50,000 fee and Jason Lee was talking to Chesterfield about a move reputed to be at least £300,000.

Lowndes, who cost Watford a total of £20,000, agreed terms with the Perth club after having a trial at Crieff Road earlier in the month.

Thomas, whose increase in weight during his stay at Vicarage Road, was one of the reasons why he had such limited first-team appearances, cost £100,000 but Taylor has decided to "bite the bullet" and take a loss. Thomas agreed terms subject to a medical on Thursday morning.

Lee, who has been trailed by Chesterfield for some weeks, was having talks with Spireites' chairman Norton Lea yesterday (Thursday) with a view to a move back to a club nearer his Nottingham home.

Apart from his low goal-return at Vicarage Road, his breach of the contract by not moving close to Watford has remained a point of contention over the past 10 months.

Lee cost £200,000 and an as yet undisclosed fee has been agreed with Chesterfield, whose chairman was reported on Wednesday as being "in delicate negotiations with Graham Taylor".

Lowndes hopes for first team action in Scotland

LOWNDES has a chance of being involved in all the St Johnstone games, because Scotland have a ruling that two under-21's have to be in the squad for every match.

"We agreed a £50,000 fee with a percentage of the sell-on. It is not 50 per cent but it is a fair percentage," said Taylor. "Out of that, we have to pay a good percentage to Leeds United but the important thing is to let this lad have an opportunity to play regular, first-team football.

"Everyone has opinions on players but I feel that our getting promotion put him further down the pecking order. Players like Nathan need to be in the first team and kept there even if they have a couple of bad games. We cannot afford to do that," he explained.

"Now he will have a chance to play against Celtic and Rangers, two of the biggest clubs in the world. I am very pleased for him. With this Bosman thing, only certain groups of players, with their agents of course, are making a killing.

"Get down the lower end and it does not follow those boys will get another club. The influx of foreign players, means that top English players are dropping down a division and that results in squeezing the players out of the bottom rung.

"He has this opportunity and I hope it goes well for him."

St Johnstone boss Paul Sturrock said: "Nathan is quick and a good finisher and he inmpressed me during his trial. He's younger than my first choice strikers and bridges the gap between the experienced pros and the kids. He provides something different to any of the players we have here at the moment."

Commenting, particularly on the departure of Thomas and Lowndes, who were listed in May, Taylor said: "I don't want to be holding up the progress of the younger boys, such as Tommy Smith and David Perpetuini who need to become regular reserve team players.

"They can become fair players but we have to get them working at it and playing regularly.

"That is the whole purpose of having a youth policy, the conveyor belt has to keep moving, to give the ones coming through a chance."

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