By Daily Sports on January 28, 2017

Odion Ighalo appears set to leave Watford after manager Walter Mazzarri revealed the club are weighing up a number of offers for the striker.

The 27-year-old Nigeria international is out of favour at Vicarage Road and has been linked with West Brom as well as a move to China.

It has been reported that Shanghai Shenhua, who reportedly made former Manchester United and Juventus striker Carlos Tevez the highest-paid footballer in the world when they signed him in December, could move for Ighalo.

And Mazzarri, speaking ahead of Watford’s FA Cup tie against Millwall, appeared to hint that Ighalo is ready to call time on his Watford career.

“With Odion Ighalo we know there are some offers, but it is still too early to say anything,” Mazzarri said.

“I just heard now there is a very important [bid], but again we will evaluate in the next days. I don’t like to say all the details, because I don’t know them, but I know there is more than one, and there might be one from China.

“Ighalo was always a very important player for this team, but there are times where a player can end its time with one club and make a decision on their career.

“These are decisions that are from the club, and from the players, and there is not much we can do about it.”

Ighalo, who rebuffed a mega-money move to China in the summer of 2015 to remain at Watford, starred under the club’s former manager Quique Sanchez Flores following their promotion back to the Premier League.

He scored 13 league goals before the turn of last year but struggled in the second half of the campaign, adding just two further goals to his tally.

His problems have continued this season — finding the back of the net only once in the league — and losing his place in Mazzarri’s side.

“I know that in the second half of last season, he is a player that didn’t do well, and didn’t perform as well as he did at the beginning,” Mazzarri added.

“So the player I received was not the same as in the first half of last season. It was already some time that he had not been performing so well, but I don’t know the reasons why.”

While Ighalo may be heading for the exit, Mazzarri, whose side are languishing in the lower echelons of the Premier League following a poor run, has added two new faces to his squad.

Argentine forward Mauro Zarate arrived from Fiorentina at the beginning of the week, while AC Milan forward M’Baye Niang completed his loan move on Thursday.

“I want to say that the club has given a very important message and a very important sign by signing these two players,” Mazzarri added. “I know for a fact that very big clubs in the UK and outside of the UK wanted them.

“They are two great players with very important qualities. For sure they will help us in the right part of the pitch and help my type of game.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Odion Ighalo

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 28, 2017

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