Matej Vydra became the club’s record outgoing transfer when he signed for Derby County yesterday.

Gino Pozzo and Scott Duxbury managed to negotiate a deal worth an initial €12.5m, likely to be spread over the length of Vydra’s four-year-old contract, plus a sizeable sell-on fee and various appearance add ons. The fee eclipses the £9.65m Aston Villa paid for Ashley Young in January 2007. Add the loan fee of £2.5m they received from Reading last season and Watford have achieved a good return on a player who was deemed surplus to requirements by successive Watford coaches.

Player trading has become a less important part of the club’s business plan now the club are in the money-spinning Premier League but more than £29m has now been received for players the club have loaned or sold in the past 12 months.

Matej Vydra £12.5m (plus £2.5m loan fee)

Miguel Layun £6m

Almen Abdi £4m

Fernando Forestieri £4m

Diego Fabbrini £1.5m (plus £250,000 loan fee from Middlesbrough)

Daniel Pudil £1m