Gianfranco Zola has insisted that Watford will not act as feeder club to Italian side Udinese.

The two clubs are owned by the Pozzo family, who completed their takeover of the Hornets earlier this month.

Those circumstances had led some to suggest Udinese would loan Watford some of their fringe players to help boost playing experience and resale value.

However, new boss Zola is adamant that Watford will be a club in their own right.

"The idea is not to develop players here and send them to Udinese," he told the London Evening Standard. "[The owners] want to make Watford big, so I don't think that Watford will become a feeder club. I actually see it the other way around at the beginning.

"We are working for the good of the club and there is no doubt about that. If I didn't have that insurance, then I wouldn't be here. The Pozzo family have said they will use their resources to improve the situation here and I believe that.

"When you see what Udinese have achieved in the last few years, it is quite amazing. They keep producing players but they have been in the Champions League for a while.

"That is the policy of the owners. They have been very successful in Italy and Spain and they want to try to start a project over here, so hopefully it will work well."

Zola is expected to make some new signings by the end of the week.