Southampton have reportedly entered the race to sign former Premier League striker Odion Ighalo, with the Nigerian international keen to return to the English top-flight.
According to TEAMtalk the Saints, as well as Everton, West Ham and former side Watford, are all interested in signing the 30-year-old attacker in the January transfer window nearly three years after Ighalo departed the Premier League to sign for Chinese Super League side Changchun Yatai.
Will Hasenhuttl go big on January signings?YesNo |
Despite Ighalo impressing in China this season, with the former Udinese striker scoring 10 goals in 17 appearances in the CSL as stats from Transfermarkt show, the report states that Nigerian is keen to return to England after three seasons in the far east.
With Southampton being one of the lowest-scoring teams in the Premier League this season as the table shows, a move for Ighalo might not be what the Saints need this January despite managing fewer goals this campaign than Brighton, Aston Villa and Burnley.
Although Ighalo has been in impressive form since moving to China, with the striker himself admitting to BBC Sport this year that he rejected a short-term loan move to Barcelona, Southampton can do with January signings on the other end of the pitch rather than up-front.
The Saints have shipped the most goals out any side in the Premier League this season and Ralph Hasenhuttl has been reported by the likes of The Mirror via HITC to be interested in bringing defensive reinforcements to the British south coast in January.
Ighalo has been in good form in recent years in China and once hit a 15+ goal season with Watford as stats from Transfermarkt show, but for Southampton, the Nigerian international just isn’t what the club are in need of heading into an important window for the Saints, who need to ensure they can bring in the right signings so they can escape the relegation zone for good.
