AIDY BOOTHROYD insists Dan Shittu is going nowhere.

The centre-half has been linked with moves to Celtic, West Brom and West Ham in the wake of Watford's relegation from the Premiership.

The Nigerian, who cost Watford £1.6m last summer and a further £250,000 after he made his 25th appearance for the Hornets, is unlikely to have been happy at being left out of the side for the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United - the Hornets' biggest game of the season - and he has often been made the scapegoat for some of the team's indifferent performances this season.

Shittu clearly feels his long-term future lies in the Premiership and has reportedly said: "The reason why I am in the game is to play at the top level. I don't think I want to go down, so I will be considering my options at the end of the season.

"For now though, my focus is to continue to give hundred percent to Watford, but I know I would like to stay in the Premiership."

Boothroyd said: "We are always going to be in danger of people trying to raid us but if we do move players on, it will be because I think it is the right thing to do.

"Dan is not one of the players I want to move on.

"He's young in terms of the experience he has had but he's got such a great ambition to want to be better that you wouldn't want to get rid of him.

"I've got 80 per cent of players I want for next year and I want to make sure we hit the ground running," he added.

"I've enquired about one or two players I want to bring in."