WATFORD captain Troy Deeney believes it will be counter productive for the newly-promoted English Premier League side to sell Nigerian striker, Odion Ighalo to any prospective bidder for now.
Ighalo has been in a devastating form this season scoring 14 goals so far in the top flight after 20 goals last season to aid the Hornets' promotion from the English Championship.
Teams in England and Europe which include Atletico Madrid and AS Roma are reportedly eyeing the signature of the Super Eagles striker, but Deeney believes the Watford owner, Gino Pozzo will not make a mistake of allowing Ighalo to go.
“He (Ighalo) ain’t going in January. If no one wanted any of our players we’d be c**p. So, come and want him as much as you want but I know Gino [Pozzo, the Watford owner] and it just wouldn’t make sense,” Deeney told theguardian.com.
“Why would he sell a striker and want to stay in the league? The value of selling Odion for, what would he be worth? £20 million, £25 million? Or staying up and getting £200 million? Simple business maths, he’s not going to sell him. Odion doesn’t come in saying: ‘I want to leave.’ He’ll just keep doing what he’s doing. We just laugh at it.”
Ighalo, it will be recalled on Monday night became the first player to score in six consecutive EPL games for Watford in a 1-2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road. The strike was also the 34th goal by Ighalo in 2015, who emerges the best striker in English all top four divisions.
Meanwhile, the Quique Sanchez Flores-piloted Watford is eighth on the EPL table with 29 points from 19 games.
Caption: Ighalo shows skill during a game.
RETURNEE manager of Chelsea, Guus Hiddink showered encomiums on John Mikel Obi despite the team's 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge on a Boxing Day.
The Nigeria international came on to replace Cesc Fabregas in the 46th minute, and his inclusion brought some level of stability into the Blues defence to the delight of his Dutch manager.
Hiddink who took over from sacked Portuguese manager, Jose Mourinho, said on the Blues official website that he was impressed with the performance of Mikel, whose close range shot almost delivered full points for the London side.
"I liked our intensity but we also have to look for a balance in the team. It’s a very attacking-orientated team.
"When we have a midfield with all creative players it’s beautiful but sometimes you need a balance and I thought John Obi gave us that balance.
“When you have the creative players such as Matic, Oscar, Willian coming inside and Cesc as well, sometimes you have to choose in a different way," said Hiddink, who had earlier coached Chelsea in 2009 season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea will on Monday night Manchester United, whose manager, Louis van Gaal, has been under intense pressure to resign following a spate of poor results.
The Red Devils lost 0-2 to Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium also on a Boxing Day with goals from Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic thus; need victory to save the job of van Gaal, who is equally ready to throw in the towel if the result of Monday's game call for it.
Caption: Mikel Obi.
