Watford could be saying a farewell to their Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo as Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua are interested in him, according to Sky Sports.
Not the first time
This is not the first time a Chinese team have been interested in the 27-year-old. The day before this season started, Watford were forced to decline Shanghai SIPG’s record £37.5 million offer because Ighalo wanted to stay at Vicarage Road.
Now second time round, Gus Poyet’s side are willing to take the chance of singing the out-of-sorts striker. Walter Mazzarri has admitted that he wants his striker to stay and says he will be going nowhere in this January transfer window.
Ighalo poor form
In 2015 Ighalo was in fine form, scoring 29 goals in 38 games. Unfortunately in 2016 it all went downhill, scoring six in 34 which consists of only one league goal so far this campaign. That came at the Olympic Stadium in Watford’s 4-2 win over West Ham United which was Watford’s first win of this campaign.
With the Nigerian’s poor form this season, could Shanghai Shenhua be taking a big risk by signing him?
“All strikers go through bad spells,” says Mazzarri
At the end of November, Water Mazzarri told Sky Sports that all strikers go through bad spells. He also added, “I hope it will take only one episode, one incident and Ighalo will be up and running for the season.”
The Italian also believes that Ighalo is a striker that Watford need, he's in competition at the same level with all the other strikers which can be Troy Deeney, Stefano Okaka, Isaac Success and even Jerome Sinclair.
Watford signed Ighalo on season long loan deal back in the summer of 2014 from Udinese and was their ninth recruit of that transfer window. Ighalo should be in the starting 11 in their FA Cup game this Saturday against newly-promoted Championship side, Burton Albion.