Watford winger Jobi McAnuff is expected to sign for Reading in the next 24 hours for an undisclosed fee.

The Hornets have confirmed they have given an “unnamed Championship club” permission to speak to McAnuff.

After missing out on Tommy Smith, former Hornets’ boss Brendan Rodgers has moved to sign McAnuff, whose Watford career was resurrected under the Northern Irishman last year.

Reading are also set to sign former Hornet Grzegorz Rasiak.

McAnuff is the Hornets highest earner and the Hertfordshire club are expected to save as much as £600,000 in his wages alone.

The winger has frustrated fans for much of his time at Vicarage Road since signing for £1.75m from Crystal Palace in 2007.

But the former Wimbledon and West Ham man excelled under Rodgers, after being brought back into the starting line-up by Malky Mackay, and had a strong finish to last season.

McAnuff has been injured for much of pre-season and struggled to find the same form so far this campaign.