Watford will seek to make a new manager appointment as soon as the season ends on Sunday.
The London Evening Standard says the club sacked Nigel Pearson with two games remaining and put Hayden Mullins in temporary charge, but the academy boss faces a battle to keep the team in the top-flight.
The Hornets are waiting to see which division they will be playing in next season but former Leicester boss Claude Puel has emerged as an early favourite.
Puel was sacked by the Foxes in February 2019 and was replaced bu current manager Brendan Rodgers. He is currently in charge of St Etienne.
Other candidates include Nottingham Forest's Sabri Lamouchi.
