Watford have just won one battle to keep a prized asset and are aware there could be many more to come. It is a sign of their progress that Premier League sides want to lure their talent.

The strong stance to block Everton’s attempts to acquire highly-rated head coach Marco Silva this month has already sent out a strong signal of intent that they will not be bullied by a so-called bigger club.

That will not stop the elite from circling around the players who have entertained on the way to climbing to eighth position in the top flight.

Richarlison is already attracting the interest of Tottenham and Chelsea before the January transfer window, having scored five goals since joining from Fluminense for £11.5million in July.

Just like Silva, though, the 20-year-old is going nowhere. As chief executive Scott Duxbury explained to Standard Sport: “We want Richarlison to be here for many more seasons. We are building a very competitive squad, we have no need to sell.

“We believe in the season being a race and that’s why we will never sell a player in January who we believe will help us. Nobody will be sold that we don’t want to. None of the players making an impact now will go.”

Given many teams provide such rhetoric only to cave once a big offer comes in, cynics may view Duxbury’s comments with suspicion.

However, it is understood that Watford ignored Manchester United’s bid to sign former striker Odion Ighalo in January 2016 because of their desire to keep the best players together for the entirety of the campaign.

There is definitely a change in attitude at Vicarage Road these days. While they still want to be seen as a family club with a close bond to their supporters, their aspirations are far higher.

Watford’s longest spell in England’s top division was six seasons in the 1980s, while a home game against the likes of Manchester United, who are the visitors on Tuesday, has often been regarded as a special occasion.

But Duxbury added: “I don’t like all the furore or being starstruck before we play one of the big teams because we can be as good as them. We just have to believe it and go for it.

“We never will be as big financially as Manchester United or with the size of the stadium, but the ambition can be as big.

“There is no check on ambition. I want people to believe that we are a challenger and that we are a big football club — because we are.”

Watford nearly went nearly into administration in 2009 and 2012, but have been put on a strong financial footing since the Pozzo family bought the club five years ago.

Their accounts ending June 2016 showed a turnover of £94m and a profit before tax of £2m.

Initially, there were questions in some quarters over the family’s motives on taking over the Hornets, but this is no simple money-making exercise for them.

It is believed that due to increased investment in the squad, the next financial results will show a loss.

But Duxbury explained: “We believe if we need to buy players and make a loss, as long as it’s sustainable, we will be successful. We are here to be competitive. We have an owner that backs that philosophy.”

More signings are planned for January, while Watford are also looking to improve the training ground and increase Vicarage Road from its 20,800 capacity.

“We are currently discussing getting the ground up to 30,000 and we have put preliminary planning permission in,” Duxbury said.

“We are looking at extending the Sir Elton John Stand and Graham Taylor stand. It’s a demand thing. Our waiting list for season tickets is now 3,000. There is a business justification to do it. The more immediate issue is we have planning permission for a new training-ground facility, which we hope to start building in the summer.

“We have had a look at training facilities on the continent and we want to build something that will promote a team bond, somewhere for everyone to interact. It will cost £5m-6m.

“As regards the cost of any work at the stadium, we won’t do anything that puts the club in financial difficulty. We are not interested in ego builds. It needs to make sound financial sense.

“But if you stand still you go backwards. We have to keep pushing forwards and be seen as a serious football club.”

