The sting in the tail of Watford's summer transfer window - a last-minute loan move for Nordin Amrabat which both surprised and annoyed Marco Silva - will not be repeated in January.

The Portuguese head coach has sought, and received, assurances from the Hornets board that "no one will leave" the club in January, including much talked-about hero Abdoulaye Doucoure, who has become the club's goliath in midfield and started all but one game for the club this season.

Doucoure is reportedly in talks with the Hornets over a new deal, said to be worth £70,000 a week and making him Watford's best-paid player, but Silva is more concerned about ensuring he stays at the club in the short-term, with his current deal not set to expire until the summer of 2020.

"Doucoure has a long contract with us," he said. "What we can do with that, if you want to do something because a player is doing very well, that’s for us to do inside the club.

"Nobody has talked with me about him leaving the club, and our board has already given a statement that no-one will leave the club in the January market.

"We’re working to improve some positions, but we have a lot of injured players at the moment. We need to do somethings differently to what we did in the summer, but the feedback I have is that no-one will leave the club."

Amrabat's departure clearly annoyed Silva at the time, and has left him, coupled with Isaac Success' injury, lacking cover in wide areas.

The Moroccan has found a starting place for Leganes difficult to come by, and his currently being investigated by the Spanish Football Association for allegedly punching a Levante physio after he was sent off in a La Liga game earlier this month.

But if nothing else, Amrabat's presence would have given the Hornets another option - and perhaps a much-needed break for Richarlison over the Christmas period.

"When I talked about Nordin," said Silva. "I thought he would be an important player for us. We're struggling on the sides, if I asked you the team for tomorrow I'm sure you could say Richarlison and Andre Carrillo.

"I hope they can continue at a good level and what they've done in the past five months, but you can see why I said what I said in August.

"In January, I have been told no-one will leave the club, anyone who is in our starting line-up or is important in our squad."