Watford have decided not to pursue a move for West Bromwich Albion striker Saido Berahino, the Watford Observer understands.
The Hornets have been heavily linked throughout the summer with the 22-year-old, who turned down a new four-year contract at The Hawthorns earlier this week.
But the Hornets, and new head coach Walter Mazzarri, have decided they are very happy with their forward options ahead of the new season, and have cooled their interest in Berahino.
With Troy Deeney having signed a new five-year deal at Vicarage Road last month, Odion Ighalo set to stay at the club, the additions of record signing Isaac Success and 19-year-old Jerome Sinclair plus the return of Matej Vydra from his loan spell at Reading and Obbi Oulare, the Hornets may now decide not to move for another striker this summer.
Interest in Berahino was expected to ramp up after he had rejected a new deal to stay in the West Midlands, but his disappointing campaign last season, coupled with a reported £20million asking price from chairman Jeremy Peace, looks to have deterred potential buyers.
Berahino was frozen out of part of the Baggies’ Premier League campaign last season and was without a start for more than two months across November to January.
He managed just four Premier League goals and missed two penalties in West Brom’s home defeat to Watford in April.
A total of seven goals in 35 matches rounded off a disappointing season for Berahino, who was more regularly in the headlines for his relationship with Baggies boss Tony Pulis than his achievements on the pitch, just a year after he had ended a campaign with 20 goals and an appearance in each of West Brom’s Premier League games.
Hornets boss Mazzarri is expected to deploy a 3-5-2 formation and even without any further additions, they would begin the season with two players to fill each of the forward slots.
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