Quique Sanchez Flores jokes he’ll be keeping a close eye on Troy Deeney to make sure the striker continues to enter Watford’s training ground instead of neighbours Arsenal.

The Hornets captain was linked with a £20 million move to the Gunners this week in the national media but there is no chance Watford will let their talisman leave this month, something that was reiterated by Flores this morning.

“I am keeping watch on Deeney to make sure he chooses the right road as their training ground is next to ours,” the Spaniard joked.

“It is almost impossible for Deeney to abandon the project in the middle of the season because I know what he thinks. After the season everything is possible in football.

“We are very happy with Deeney because he is our captain, he helps manage the team and he is very important for us.

“Deeney’s next step shouldn’t be thinking about going to another team. It should be getting into the national team. Why not? It would be perfect.

“In the history of football players who are playing in humble teams have been selected.

“It is the case of (Jamie) Vardy too. He is playing in a ‘humble’ team but he has played for the national team because the coach (Roy Hodgson) values his qualities.”

But Deeney isn’t the only Watford player to have been linked with a move away from Vicarage Road this week.

His strike partner Odion Ighalo, who has scored 14 times this season, continues to attract reported interest.

Again Flores is insistent the Nigerian will not depart Vicarage Road before the summer.

He said: “It is completely impossible because our target is very clear and these two players (Deeney and Ighalo) are amazing.

"They have confidence in themselves so they are not in a hurry to leave Watford. They are happy here and that is a very important thing”

“There are a lot rumours…Capoue is going to Milan too, no?,” Flores joked.

“I understand that will happen during the winter market and it is good for Watford.

“We can’t be sad that teams are interested in our players. It is good news teams are interested in Deeney, Ighalo, Capoue or (Nathan) Ake.

"It means these players are playing really well and it means other teams are focused on our work. It’s perfect.”