Watford will reject any approach from Everton to sign Richarlison during the summer transfer window.

Marco Silva refused to rule out an attempt to lure the winger away from Watford during his first press conference since being appointed at the Merseyside club.

Watford, however, will reportedly not entertain any bids from the Goodison Park club for the £40 million rated Brazilian.

The two clubs are engaged in a long-running dispute dating back to what Watford believed to be an illegal approach made by Everton for their then head coach Silva in November.

This ill-feeling is said to be at the heart of the Hornets’ stance on any bid from the Toffees as they continue to seek compensation from Everton.

Watford were offered £9 million to allow Everton to talk to Silva in 2017 and are the Premier League are set to host a meeting between the two clubs to reach a conclusion later this month.

Silva’s close relationship with Richarlison, who went public with his disappointment when the 40-year-old was sacked in January, adds to the belief he will attempt to sign the 21-year-old.

The Portuguese boss played an important role in convincing the former Fluminense man to move to Vicarage Road.

He was coy when the subject of attempting to bring Richarlison to Everton was broached when he was presented to the media yesterday.

He said: “Richarlison? I have big names. The list is not so big. It is important we respect for our squad, so we will analyse everything inside our squad.

“Afterwards we will make the decision. We have to be assertive and find the right targets for us.”