Get the FREE Mirror Football newsletter by email with the day's key headlines and transfer news Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Watford are considering an eye-watering offer approaching £27 million for striker Odion Ighalo from China – and will let him go this month.

Head coach Walter Mazzarri all but confirmed the Hornets are ready to cash in on their Nigerian international striker, who has scored just two Premier League goals in the past 12 months.

Ighalo, 27, is out of favour and way down the pecking order at Vicarage Road following the arrivals of M'Baye Niang and Mauro Zarate this week.

And Mazzarri revealed Watford had received several bids for their 17-goal top scorer last season – including one “very important” offer.

As Mirror Sport revealed earlier this month, a move to the Great Wallet of China – where he could earn up to £200,000-a-week – looks Ighalo's likeliest exit strategy.

(Image: Tony Marshall / Getty) (Image: Getty)

Shanghai Shenhua, who made former Manchester United and City striker Carlos Tevez the highest-paid player in world football last month, are interested in pairing him up front with Ighalo.

But Ighalo's form and market value has declined since he rejected a staggering £37.5 million move to Shanghai SIPG last summer.

Mazzarri, speaking ahead of Watford's booby-trap FA Cup fourth round tie at Millwall on Sunday, revealed: “With Odion Ighalo, we know there are some offers, but it is still too early to say anything.

“I just heard now there is a very important bid, and we will evaluate in the next few days.

(Image: Twitter/Watford FC)

(Image: Reuters)

“I don't like to say all the details because I don't know them, but I know there is more than one – and there might be one from China.

“Ighalo was always a very important player for this team, but there are times when a player can end his time with one club and make a decision on their career.

“I know that in the second half of last season he is a player who didn't do well and didn't perform as well as he did at the beginning.

“The player I received was not the same as in the first half of last season. It was already some time that he had not been performing so well, but I don't know the reasons why.”

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

Watford turned down a deadline day bid of £30m from Manchester United, the club he supported as a boy, 12 months ago because there was no time to bring in an effective replacement.

But this week, Mazzarri has completed a loan deal for Niang from AC Milan, with a £13.5m transfer to follow in the summer, and a £2.4m swoop for Fiorentina striker Zarate, leaving Ighalo in limbo.

West Brom were interested in Ighalo after selling Saido Berahino to Stoke, but Tony Pulis withdrew his interest because the Albion manager's £17m valuation was well short of Watford's £25m-plus asking price.