Watford are interested in signing Joe Pigott this summer, according to recent reports...

What's the word?

That's the word according to The Mirror's Sam Elliot, who tweeted that the AFC Wimbledon centre-forward is "likely" to be Watford's first signing since they secured their return to the Premier League.

Elliot also claims that the 27-year-old would earn "six times his current wage" - which is reported to be £2,100-per-week - if a move to Vicarage Road is completed, meaning that Pigott would earn around £12,600-per-week at Watford.

Astute signing

So far this season, Pigott has highly impressed over his 42 League One appearances for Mark Robinson's side, with the striker scoring 18 goals and registering five assists, as well as averaging a rather remarkable WhoScored match rating of 7.20 - ranking him as the club's best performer in the third tier.

What makes the former Charlton Athletic striker's haul even more impressive is that he is currently playing in a quite poor Wimbledon team, as the Dons are currently sitting just five points above the League One relegation zone in 19th place.

And, with Troy Deeney having been sidelined for long spells of this season due to injury, something that could become a more regular occurrence as the 33-year-old grows older, it would be a smart move for Watford to begin their search to replace the club captain.

As such, despite there being an obvious difference in standards between the third tier and the Premier League, Pigott would nonetheless appear to represent an extremely astute signing for Xisco Munoz's side, not only because of his evident eye for goal, but also because of the finances involved in a potential transfer.

With the 27-year-old's contract up at the end of the current campaign, the only fee Watford would be required to pay for Pigott would be the striker's wages and a signing-on fee, meaning that there is not much risk for the Hornets if they do complete the signing of a player who former Wimbledon manager, Wally Downes, once dubbed as "magnificent".

In other news: Forget Sarr: Watford must complete blockbuster deal for 'fantastic' gem this summer - opinion