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West Ham have been linked with a move for Etienne Capoue this transfer window – and probably have a good chance of landing the Watford midfielder.

There's no doubting that Capoue has been a key man for the Hornets in past seasons, making 36 appearances in his first season after joining from Spurs in the summer of 2015.

He followed this with 39 last season but also discovered a taste for scoring goals, netting seven in all, including four in the first six games of the campaign.

This season has been somewhat different for the Frenchman. Until the nasty injury suffered by summer signing Nathaniel Chalobah in mid-September, Capoue's only start was in the Carabao Cup, and his only other action as a late sub against Bournemouth.

Capoue replaced the crocked Chalobah in that fateful game against tomorrow's opponents, Manchester City, and all of a sudden a new opportunity opened itself for the former Toulouse man.

He started three of Watford's next four games but on each occasion was taken off with a large portion of the game remaining. He was hauled off at half time at Swansea, and with half an hour remaining against West Brom and Stoke.

In between, he was a sub in the win over Arsenal, but only came on for the last 10 minutes. But it was the Stoke game, at the end of October, which proved to be Capoue's last action for more than a month – next appearing as a sub in the draw with Spurs at the start of December.

Handed only his fourth start of the season two weeks later, he was again withdrawn with a substantial part of the game left in the 4-1 home defeat to Huddersfield, then came on as a late sub at Brighton a week later, but has not been seen since.

The 29 year old cannot say he hasn't been given opportunities, but there must be a reason he is only really trusted as the occasional late sub these days, and is taken off early whenever he's handed a rare start.

Can it all be traced back to the reported fall-out between Capoue and head coach Marco Silva after a pre-season friendly back in August? He's certainly a shadow of the player Watford fans have enjoyed watching for the past two seasons.

But with Chalobah being primed for a return in the new year, Capoue's days at the club could well be numbered, and it could be better for both player and club if the Hornets cash in and take the reported £12m the Hammers are offering.