Watford have opened talks with Bournemouth midfielder Dan Gosling regarding a potential move to Vicarage Road.

The Hornets' midfield options have been reduced during the transfer windown with Etienne Capoue's departure and James Garner's switch to Nottingham Forest, while a move for Aston Villa's Henri Lansbury was unsuccessful.

Gosling's contract with the Cherries expires in the summer, so he would be available for little expense. 

No deal has been agreed for now, but could be concluded fairly swiftly with few obvious hurdles in the way of an agreement.

Gosling has 184 Premier League appearances to his name from spells at Everton, Newcastle United and Bournemouth.

He has also scored six times from 69 Championship matches playing for the Cherries, Blackpool and Plymouth Argyle.