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Watford turns down lucrative Chinese offer for Ighalo

Adam Holt / Action Images

Clearly not interested in selling either member of its two-man attack, Watford has reportedly rejected a £38-million offer from Chinese side Shanghai SIPG for Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo.

Watford and owner Giampaolo Pozzo have already rebuffed Leicester City's lucrative bid for Ighalo's strike mate Troy Deeney, and now it appears the club have little interest in cashing in on the 28-goal tandem, according to Fabrizio Romano of The Guardian.

The top-flight Chinese side just dropped a club-record £46.1 million on Zenit St. Petersburg attacker Hulk, and with Asamoah Gyan already in the ranks, appear slated to add a third high-profile player to Sven-Goran Eriksson's ranks.

Ighalo, 27, has four years left on his deal at Vicarage Road after joining the Hornets from Udinese in 2014. Pozzo owns both the Serie A side and Watford after selling La Liga outfit Granada earlier in June to Chinese investors.

Shanghai currently sits fourth in the Chinese Super League table, 12 points adrift of Luiz Felipe Scolari's Guangzhou Evergrande.

Watford kicks off its second successive season in the top flight under the tutelage of incoming manager Walter Mazzarri on Aug. 13 against Southampton.

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