Watford has sort of been this year’s Leicester City Light- a recently promoted club that have been shattering everyone’s expectations of them. The Foxes are league title material, and their Cinderella story is overshadowing the Hornets, who are having a memorable season themselves.
Led by Odion Ighalo, Watford are just four places and five points below Manchester United in the current table. Obviously, they’re doing it with a fraction of the payroll. The Nigerian striker’s excellent form is supposedly attracting interest from many potential suitors, including Man United, Chelsea and now Arsenal.
And the door for Ighalo to join one of the big clubs could be opening, if the Mirror are to be believed.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are stepping up their interest in £20m-rated Watford forward Odion Ighalo. This follows up on a report from the Daily Mirror exactly one week ago:
Watford hope to sign striker Isaac Success – paving the way for Odion Ighalo’s exit.
The Hornets plan to raid Spanish club Granada – who are also controlled by their owner Gino Pozzo – to tie up the Nigerian on a pre-contract agreement to move to Vicarage Road.
Which means we need to flash back to last month. In January, Ighalo says that he would turn down pretty much everybody, he also told The Sun that he’d struggle to pass up an opportunity to move to Old Trafford…should the situation arise.
Odion Ighalo was quoted:
“There has been speculation from Spain and Italy but I’ve played there and now want to play in England. I don’t think I will be moving but I’m not sure I’d say no if United called. They were my team growing up. I loved watching Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke on TV.”
“They were my idols and playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream.”
It would certainly make for good copy too. Given United’s non-existent January transfer window, Ighalo going to the Theatre of Dreams would be huge news this summer.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram