Watford are weighing up the prospect of selling captain Troy Deeney in the final days of the transfer window, folllowing prolonged interest from West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies are reported to have bid £16 million for the 29-year-old, but this has not proved enough to satisfy Hornets owner Gino Pozzo.

The Watford Observer understands the club has no intention of letting players go against its will but seperately, meetings were held between Pozzo and his counterparts at the Hawthorns earlier this month.

Deeney has scored 109 goals for Watford and played 320 times since joining the club in 2010. He has been top scorer in five of his eight seasons at Vicarage Road.

But whereas 18 months ago the prospect of selling the club's talisman and top scorer would have seemed ridiculous, and the club held off a £25 million bid from Leicester City, now anything approaching £20 million may be enough to test their resolve.

That comes amid a season where the former Walsall forward has scored only three times, and once in open play. Most of his talking points have come off-the-field, accusing Arsenal of 'lacking cojones' after Watford beat them at Vicarage Road, and sitting out seven games through suspension.

His former club would be owed 20 per cent of the transfer fee if he does move, which would amount to around £4 million if he moves for the kind of fee it has been reported Watford are holding out for.