Championship outfit Watford are tracking Walsall hot-shot striker Troy Deeney.

Hornets boss Malky Mackay has added the striker to his summer watchlist – but is yet to make an official enquiry.

Mackay has made a new striker a top priority after the Hornets narrowly avoided relegation from the Championship last season.

And the Hornets boss has earmarked Deeney as one of the men to solve his striker crisis, with only Danny Graham and Will Buckley on board for next term.

The Scot cannot afford to make Heidar Helguson’s loan move from QPR permanent and is looking at more viable options.

Senior sources at Vicarage Road confirmed Mackay is an admirer of the 21-year-old, who was the Saddlers’ 14-goal top scorer last season.

The Hornets are the first to show their hand as Deeney’s reputation grows – although Saddlers boss Chris Hutchings has insisted it would cost “a lot of money” to buy the striker.

Mackay has cash to spend after a concert by former chairman Elton John raised £600,000 for new players – although his budget is still tight.

Watford only avoided administration last December after paying back monies owed to former chairman Jimmy Russo at the 11th hour.

But any potential deal would be on the Saddlers’ terms, with Deeney having penned a two-year contract last September as the Saddlers broke from tradition and offered him a fresh agreement during the season.

It underlined their determination to keep Deeney, who has flourished since Hutchings took over at the Banks’s Stadium in January 2009.

The player has scored 24 goals in 68 games under the manager and is key to the Saddlers’ play-off hopes next season but with money tight, the club would find a decent offer difficult to resist.

But Deeney has already insisted he will ignore any gossip and is happy at the club.

He said last month: “There’s always going to be speculation, because it’s that time of the season but as long as the club say I’m still here, then I’m still here and I’ll work hard.

“I wouldn’t have signed a contract if I weren’t happy. I’m the main man now and that’s what I wanted.

“Now I’ve got to prove that I’m the main man next season.”