Aidy vows to keep King

Aidy Boothroyd has vowed to "fight tooth and nail" to hold on to Marlon King this summer.

The Jamaica international has been linked with a summer move to Aston Villa.

Blackburn and Bolton are also rumoured to be interested in tempting the 26-year-old away from Vicarage Road.

In January, Boothroyd sold forward Ashley Young to Villa for a club record fee of £9.5 million, but he is determined not to let King go the same way, even if the Hornets make the expected drop back to the Championship.

"I don't want Marlon to go anywhere," Boothroyd told.thisishertfordshire.co.uk.

"You don't get rid of your best players unless you are offered ridiculous amounts of money for them. Ashley was a different kettle of fish.

"We are and always will be a selling club because we can't compete with Manchester United or Chelsea, but we will do all we can to keep our best players.

"Marlon is one of our best players and I will fight tooth and nail to keep him."

Last season King scored 22 goals but this term has made only eight appearances as his season was cut short by knee surgery.