EXCLUSIVE: Watford in talks to re-sign old striker; Prem rivals also keen

Odion Ighalo is looking to return to the Premier League in January with a number of clubs, including his former team Watford, keen to strike a deal, TEAMtalk can reveal.

The 30-year-old left Vicarage Road in 2017 in a £20m move to Changchun Yatai, having disappointed the Hornets with his desire to move on to the riches of the Chinese Super League.

The Nigeria international is currently with Shanghai Shenhua who he joined in February this year – but we can reveal he is now keen to move back to the Premier League.

We understand Shenhua would sanction a loan with a view to a permanent deal, making his prospective signing extremely appealing to a number of sides in January.

As per our sources, Watford have been contacted over a potential deal to bring Ighalo back to Vicarage Road and it’s understood their hierarchy have shown an interest. Unfortunately for the Hornets, however, they are not alone in the pursuit.

Everton, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Southampton have all indicated an interest in taking Ighalo in the New Year and it will likely come down to the striker’s preference with all six clubs reportedly keen to bring him in.

Ighalo scored an impressive 39 times in 99 appearances for the Hornets between 2014 and 2017 before departing and his return would certainly go down well with supporters as the club look to pull themselves clear of the lower reaches of the Premier League.

TEAMtalk was first with the news that the Hornets board are considering axing manager Quique Sanchez Flores just two months after his return to Hertfordshire and a number of reports on Saturday claim he could lose his job if they fail to beat Southampton on Saturday evening.

The Spaniard, however, is adamant it would be a “big mistake” just to focus on his own position as the club battle for survival and sent this message over claims he was facing the sack.

“I think we are making a big mistake talking about me and about my job, my position.

“Finally, the situation is not about my position, a coach.

“You are talking about the happiness of a lot of people. This is the most important thing.

“The happiness of the fans, the future of the club, the future of the squad, (we should be) talking about that.”