Watford are ready to rebuff any interest in Ismaila Sarr from Liverpool, should it materialise.

The Merseysiders are long-time admirers of the Senegal winger and made their interest known the summer before the Hornets were relegated.

In recent days, reports have emerged once again linking last season's top scorer with the former champions, but the Watford Observer understands there is yet to have been any serious or formal approach.

Watford have made their stance on Sarr very clear since their promotion, with both sporting director Cristiano Giaretta and CEO and chairman Scott Duxbury saying he would be part of the squad this season.

In May Giaretta told the Observer:"We want to keep the best players that we have in the squad. Sarr, Joao Pedro and the best players, or the players that we consider important for this team, we want to keep them. We are not in the market for selling our best players, we're just in the market for understanding how we can strengthen the team by signing good players, and especially signing players who we think can have an important chance at an important club."

Around the same time, Duxbury told TalkSport: “Our desire is to keep [Sarr and Pedro] but the most important thing is they want to stay. I think they feel connected to Watford. Absolutely, they will be here next season.”

The club are in a strong position regarding Sarr, especially now they are back in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old has three years left on his current contract and would command a very high fee, thought to be at least £40million, should anyone wish to try and test Watford's resolve.

The Hornets rejected bids from both Crystal Palace and Manchester United in January of last season and their return to the top flight means they are not likely to accept any further offers for him now.

The only foreseeable way in which a move materialises this summer is if the player himself pushes for one.

Earlier this year, Duxbury told the From the Rookery End podcast: “There will be some (players) I am sure that have ambitions to play elsewhere and if they don’t want to be part of the project, no problem. Move on. We’ll bring people in that want to be part of it."

For now, the player is not known to be unhappy at Vicarage Road and as recently as April publicly said he wanted to remain a Hornet.

"I still have three years on my contract and I'm focused on Watford and I want to say," he said at the time.