Ighalo: Martins made my Shanghai Shenhua move possible
Ighalo, 29-year old, who made this known in a post praised Obagoal as Martins is popularly called during his hey days with the national team for giving him the advice to move to Shanghai Shenhua following Changchun Yatai’s relegation to League One.
“Thank you senior man for the advice. You are a king @obagoal”, Ighalo wrote on the post he shared online.
With the move the Super Eagles forward will reunite with his former Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores under whom he enjoyed an impressive goalscoring run in his debut Premier League season.
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After notching 15 goals in 37 outings for the Hornets under Sanchez Flores in the 2015-16 campaign, the Nigerian was deemed surplus to requirements by Walter Mazzarri which fueled his move to China in January 2017.
During his first two seasons in China, the former Granada talisman tallied 36 efforts in 55 league outings for the Changchun outfit.
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo is joining Shenhua. He will reunite with Flores from their Watford days. Welcome @ighalojude pic.twitter.com/M3PCHbI1o4
— Shanghai Shenhua FC (@shanghaishenhua) February 14, 2019
He ended the 2018 season as the second top scorer in the Chinese topflight with 21 goals in 28 appearances but his impressive goal return could not save Chen Jingang’s side from relegation.
During the January transfer window, Ighalo was keen on a return to English Premier League but he has now opted to join the Flower of Shanghai ahead of the 2019 Chinese Super League that begins on March 1.