Watford are in negotiations with Blackburn Rovers over their striker Rudy Gestede, with the Championship side holding out for a fee of £7m having rejected a bid of £4m earlier this month.

Gestede, 26, saw a move to the Premier League fall through in January after Blackburn turned down an offer from Crystal Palace. But after scoring 20 goals in 39 Championship appearances as Gary Bowyer’s side finished ninth, the Benin international has his heart set on leaving Ewood Park and is understood to want to join Quique Flores’s newly-promoted side despite interest from Norwich City.

Gestede’s representatives will meet officials at Blackburn, who are currently operating under a transfer embargo for a second successive window after failing to meet the Football League’s financial fair play requirements, later this week in an attempt to finalise a deal but are confident a resolution can be found.