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Watford have turned down a bid of £38 million from Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG for striker Odion Ighalo.
As reported by the Guardian, the Hornets have refused to consider the offer from the free-spending Chinese giants, who’ve already broken their transfer record this week by signing Hulk from Zenit St. Petersburg for £46.1 million. The Hornets’ owner Giampaolo Pozzo won’t entertain the idea of selling Ighalo, or Troy Deeney, this summer.
The 27-year-old, who has four years remaining on his contract at Vicarage Road, has been in demand following an excellent debut season in the Premier League, working very well with Deeney up top. His strike-partner has also been targeted in this window, with Watford turning down an offer from Leicester City for his services, as reported by the newspaper.
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is in charge of Shanghai, and already has the likes of Asamoah Gyan and the newly arrived Hulk at his disposal in the final third. However despite that, they currently sit fourth in the Chinese Super League after 12 games, 15 points adrift of leaders Guangzhou Evergrande.
Although Pozzo doesn’t want to cash-in on Ighalo, there could be further suitors as the summer progresses, such was his early impact in the Premier League for Watford.
The Nigerian international scored 15 goals and created 37 chances in 37 Premier League appearances, but only found the net twice in 2016, as he struggled to maintain his early season form for Quique Sanchez Flores’ men.
Watford ended the campaign in 13th on 45 points, eight-clear of the relegation zone and five adrift of the top half, winning just four games since the turn of the year. Flores also guided them to the FA Cup semi-finals, but they lost 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Wembley.
It wasn’t enough for the Spaniard to keep his job at Vicarage Road though, as Walter Mazzarri replaced him back in May. The Italian faces a tricky start to his reign in the Premier League, taking on Southampton at St. Mary’s on the opening weekend, before games against Chelsea and Arsenal in the following two weeks.
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