Watford would like to retain the services of Manchester United midfielder Tom Cleverley and QPR striker Heidar Helguson next season.

Cleverley, the Hornets’ leading goalscorer, is on loan until the end of the season and Watford boss Malky Mackay admits he would like to sign the 20-year-old for a second season if possible.

Mackay said: “It has absolutely nothing to do with us or nothing we can affect. If there is a point where dialogue opens up and we are able to keep Tom Cleverley and Manchester United would like him to come back here, then absolutely that would be the case, but it is not in our control.”

Helguson is also on loan from QPR but the Hornets would like to make that deal permanent if possible in the summer.

Mackay said: “There will be a point where we deal with QPR at the end of the season but we realise he is a player who has been signed from Bolton in the Premier League and he has a contract with that club for another year going beyond the summer, so we have to be realistic on that as well.

“I am like everyone in here, in that I see the job the experienced international has done for us, so would I like to have him? Absolutely.”

Watford have used the loan market well this season with the captures of Cleverley, Helguson and Henri Lansbury from Arsenal.

Mackay explained the loan market is mutually beneficial for clubs when it comes to young players in particular.

He said: “It is a relationship that is suppose to work for both clubs. The parent club's young players come to a club and are given the chance to perform at a higher level than reserves and gain experience and be a better player when they go back.

“On the flip side, we gain a quality young player from our squad and group and doesn't cost us a transfer fee, so that is what we gain from it.

“This season we managed to bring in Tom and Henri, as far as next season is concerned, at the end of the season they go back to their parent clubs and a variety of things can happen with managers, coaches and buys arriving, youth players coming through and they go back there and have a pre-season with their parent club and then at some time in July or early August, they sit down and have a look at what they think for the list of players they have got.

“They will have a list of players who they think are not going to be in the first team squad, do they keep them to play in the FA Youth Cup and League Cup or do they put them out on loan to gain experience.”