Two ideal Premier League destinations for former Watford star Odion Ighalo
Odion Ighalo is a Nigerian international striker who has played for Watford in the Premier League in the past. As a youngster, he was touted to be the next big star. After coming up as a player at Julius Berger Lagos, he made a move from Nigeria to Lyn in Norway to ensure better training.
A year after moving to Norway, he was scouted by Italian side Udinese, who after watching his performances, decided to sign the Nigerian forward on a permanent deal. He spent a majority of his initial playing years on loan at Granada and had even represented Udinese and Cessna.
It was in 2014 that Udinese loaned him to Vicarage Road him to try his luck in the English top-flight at Watford. While the initial deal was a season-long loan, it eventually permitted Watford to buy the player and hence, his deal with the English club was made permanent.
After more than two years at the club, Ighalo was eventually sold to Chinese outfit Changchun Yatai in January 2017. After more than a full season in China, Sky Sports are reporting that the 29-year-old is looking for a return to Europe with a preference to play in the Premier League.
Let’s take a look at two sides that could do with the Nigerian international’s signature in the January window.
Newcastle United
Currently at 15th place having scored just 15 goals in their first 21 games of the season, it’s slowly becoming clear that the strikers available to Rafa Benitez just aren’t good enough. This is the right time to look for an experienced striker who can save Newcastle’s season.
Given Joselu’s struggles since his arrival at St.James’ Park and Rondon’s inconsistent Premier League record, Newcastle would have hoped new signing Yoshinori Muto to deliver the goods but it hasn’t quite worked out for him so far.
Odion Ighalo could be the right striker for Rafa’s team because of the physical presence he provides in the box. Capable of scoring headers, he is an excellent finisher and even has a keen eye for passes. With Kenedy and Ayoze Perez in support, this could be the perfect move for the Nigerian.
Watford
Given the time he has spent at Watford in the past, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Nigerian forward make the move back to Vicarage Road. He had already formed an excellent partnership with Talisman Troy Deeney and that could be crucial in deciding this transfer.
While Watford have been in decent form and are 8th in the table, the addition of former star Ighalo to their attacking ranks will help them push for the European spots in the latter part of the season and could turn out to be a very shrewd piece of business by Javi Gracia.