Watford will resist any attempts to prise their best players from them this month - but Quique Sanchez Flores only need look at Southampton to know the suitors will be circling again in the summer if his side maintain their extraordinary progress.
Flores remains adamant Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney will not be sold before the end of the window.
Watford are ready to reject any offers but their opponents tonight are an example of how difficult it is to keep hold of star players in the long run.
Ronald Koeman has lost key players in each of the past two summers. Southampton sold Nathaniel Clyne, Morgan Schneiderlin and Toby Alderweireld last summer after Koeman led them to their highest Premier League finish of seventh.
The previous summer it was Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren and Calum Chambers moving on. It could happen again this time with Sadio Mane, Victor Wanyama and Graziano Pelle certain to attract interest.
Flores has sympathy for Koeman but the Watford head coach knows the realities of the game.
He can provide no guarantees that Ighalo and Deeney, who have scored 20 goals between them this season, will be at Vicarage Road beyond the end of the season if the big clubs some calling.
Flores said: “When you have success at a club, like Southampton did last year, it is normal to lose players. It is very difficult.
"The main players can go to other big teams. That is the life of a manager, sometimes you are going to lose your best players.”
Ighalo will be restored to the side tonight after being rested for the FA Cup win over Newcastle last Saturday.
Flores is still without Nathan Ake, who completes a three-match ban for a red card against Tottenham.
