Watford have turned down a £38m offer for their striker Odion Ighalo from the free-spending Shanghai SIPG. The Chinese club broke their transfer record this week when they signed Hulk from Zenit St Petersburg for £46.1m but they are unlikely to add Ighalo to their squad after Watford’s refusal to even consider the offer.

Ighalo scored 17 goals in 42 appearances last season and has been linked with a move away from the club but the owner, Giampaolo Pozzo, is not considering selling the striker.

Watford have already rejected a bid for another forward, Troy Deeney, from Leicester City with Pozzo adamant he wants to hold on to both players. Ighalo has four years left on his contract.

Shanghai, who are managed by the former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, have the former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan in their squad as well as the newly arrived Hulk. Shanghai are fourth in the Chinese Super League after 15 games, 12 points behind the leaders Guangzhou Evergrande.

Watford, who have a new manager this season in Walter Mazzarri, after Quique Sanchez Flores left the club, kick off the Premier League season against Southampton on 13 August.