Sam Allardyce set sights on signing Watford striker

New Everton manager Sam Allardyce has reportedly earmarked Watford skipper Troy Deeney as his number one target for the winter transfer window.

The Merseysiders are on the search for a new marksman in the New Year after having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku's goals despite pursuing the likes of Wayne Rooney, Sandro Ramirez and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

According to ESPN, the Toffees are likely to revive their interest in Deeney whom former boss Ronald Koeman was against signing in the previous transfer window.

Everton's director of football Steve Walsh has been tasked with the job of securing a suitable agreement, but the deal is unlikely to be straightforward with Watford making a bright start to the campaign.

Deeney has mostly made an impact off the bench under Marco Silva, and the 29-year-old could yet to push for an exit as he is behind Andre Gray in the pecking order.

The marksman, who has previously attracted interest from Leicester City, has been restricted to just four Premier League starts since Silva took over in the summer.