According to Sky Sports News, Odion Ighalo is ready to hear offers from Premier League sides and make a return to England. The 28-year-old currently plays for Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League and has netted the ball 15 times in 27 appearances for the club.
He moved to the Chinese outfit last January for a £20m from Watford. The transfer came as a shock to the fans at Vicarage Road as the striker had just finished the previous season in prolific form having scored 18 goals in 42 appearances. Maybe the move was warranted by the mammoth £190,000 per week he earns while playing in Asia. However, many clubs including Southampton are looking to bring him back to England.
He was always open about a possible return to the Premier League. “On a personal level, it is good money for me but if I had my way I would love to stay in the Premier League,” he said at the time of his surprise £20m transfer. “I have my family here, the kids are in school here, they have their friends here and getting that stability is never easy when you keep moving your family. But what can we do? Life goes on,” he said in a recent interview.
Plenty of clubs would benefit from the services of the Nigerian who has racked up quite a bit of experience in the Premier League.
Swansea City
Nobody other than Jordan Ayew has really been showing up for the Swans in front of goal in recent weeks with the club rotting at the bottom of the Premier League. They have struggled to replace the talents of Gylfi Sigurdsson and so far Wilfried Bony has just netted the ball twice in 11 appearances.
With just 18 games left in the league, they need a strong and gritty presence in the number nine role exactly like Ighalo to dig them out of the rut they are stuck in.
Stoke City
Marko Arnautovic is flourishing at West Ham United, while the Potters are struggling to find someone other than a veteran Peter Crouch to lead the attacking lineup. Saido Berahino has become an afterthought with Mame Biram Diouf registering just 4 goals to his name so far.
Southampton
The club is really struggling with the injury to Charlie Austin. Shane Long finally ended his 35 game goalless streak against Crystal Palace last week but is still a concern for Mauricio Pellegrino. Manolo Gabbiadiani has failed to impress in the limited minutes he has received and the Saints might are already well into a relegation battle at the 17th spot of the points table, held up by goal difference.
