Watford manager Sean Dyche has confirmed striker Marvin Sordell is on the verge of joining a Premier League club.

Sordell was pulled out of tonight’s match with Millwall by owner Laurence Bassini around two hours before kick-off after bids for the striker by Cardiff City and an unnamed Premier League side, believed to be Bolton Wanderers.

Speaking immediately after the 2-0 win, Dyche said: “All I know is that a Premiership club are on the verge of making that deal permanent.”

He added: “I had been on the phone all afternoon and I wasn’t thinking anyone was leaving.

“But decisions have to be made that are not my decisions so you work with what happens and you be flexible.

“I thought the focus of the team tonight was fantastic and they got on with it.”

It looked as though vice-captain Adrian Mariappa was more likely to leave than Sordell this week after several bids from Newcastle United and Wigan Athletic.

The Watford manager was asked about Mariappa’s current situation.

Dyche replied: “I will tell you one thing – exceptional. To see someone have a day like him, although it is not over yet, with friends and agents ringing him, to see his focus tonight shows what he is - an immaculate professional.”

When asked how close Mariappa came to leaving, Dyche replied: “That is not my decision, that is the business end of the market so I don’t know until I have spoken to the owner and the board tomorrow.”

“Dyche was speaking at around 10pm and he was clearly aware of the time when addressing the media.

“There is an hour, one minute and 20 seconds left of the transfer window but I don’t know and I’m not watching the clock at all,” Dyche joked.

“I am going to lock him in a cupboard and turn all the phones off.”

“Understandably, Dyche stated it was highly unlikely that Sordell’s replacement would be found during this transfer window and that the loan market was more likely.

He said: “I have not been in a position to spend so it has been a case of waiting for imput into the club before I can look at output and with it coming so late in the day, obviously certain targets would have moved and certain things have happened.

"But that is life at Watford, we just get on with it and we use the resources we can to build where we can.”