Preston miss out on Darius

Watford striker Darius Henderson has turned down a move to Preston North End.

Henderson, who scored three goals in 35 Premier League appearances last season, has been discussing a switch to Deepdale.

A bid, believed to be in the region of £1.3million, had been accepted by Watford and Preston were hoping to fend off interest from Sheffield Wednesday to snare the forward.

But Lilywhites boss Paul Simpson has revealed that Henderson has rejected the chance to swap Championship clubs.

"Obviously I'm disappointed that a player who I believe would have been a strong addition to our squad has decided that he wants to remain with his current club," Simpson told the club's official website.

"The chairman had backed me with this bid, which we had accepted by Watford.

"Unfortunately, that move is not now going to happen, but I hope to use the money in other areas to make sure we are a stronger squad."

Simpson has money to spend after the sale of David Nugent to Portsmouth and will continue his efforts to recruit new players upon his return from Preston's pre-season trip to the United States.