Watford striker Andre Gray urges club to keep hold of prized assets as he calls for squad to step up next term

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Andre Gray says Watford must keep the core of their squad together after their FA Cup Final heartbreak.

Javi Gracia’s side lost 6-0 to Manchester City in the biggest Final defeat for 116 years as their opponents clinched a historic domestic treble.

Despite the defeat, it has been a successful season for Watford, who finished 11th in the Premier League with a club record total of points.

Their fine campaign has attracted interest in a number of their key players, namely midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure, forward Gerard Deulofeu and winger Roberto Pereyra.

But striker Gray has urged the club to keep the squad together so they can push on next season.

“We need to stick with the core of the squad,” said Gray. “Obviously, we are going to add players and probably lose players. But I just think it is important to keep the core.

“We have got the spirit there now. It is important to keep that and push ourselves on from this season.

“The gaffer said it: sometimes you have got to lose to win. That is how we need to take it now and try to come back next year a lot stronger.”

Doucoure is likely to attract the strongest interest and he was a target for Paris Saint-Germain in January.

The 26-year-old, who has four years to run on his contract, is valued at around £40million and he is not expected to force a move if Watford do not get the fee they want for him.

After finishing as the club’s top scorer, Deulofeu has caught the eye of AC Milan, while Pereyra is also on the radar of clubs in Italy.

Neither of them shone on Saturday, though, with Pereyra missing a great chance to put Watford 1-0 up early on.

But when asked if that could have changed the game, Gray replied: “Not necessarily, we still conceded six goals. City are by far the best team [I’ve played against]. Again, stats don’t lie and trophies don’t lie.

“You have to look at the quality of their players, it is not just about the money. It is the way they play, the way they press. They have probably run more than any other team in the League as well and we have seen that [in the Final].”

Watford are planning to add to the squad in the summer, with a new centre-back, wide player and striker all being targeted.

And Gray says there is belief among the squad they can come back stronger next year.

“We have had our best season in the club’s history, so we deserved to be [in the Final],” Gray added.

“But we need to try and step up and do better than we did last season in general. We are professionals and if we want to be better than we were this season, then we have to learn from it and move on.”

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