£38m one year ago, even at half price West Brom at risk of overpaying for Odion Ighalo

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West Brom are in talks to sign Watford striker Odion Ighalo.

Watford must rue the day 12 months ago they rejected a £38 million move for striker Odion Ighalo.

The Nigerian was in a rich run of form and was wanted by Chinese side Shanghai SIPG, The Guardian reported.

Now Ighalo could be heading for an exit, for a very different destination and for substantially less money.

Odion Ighalo celebrates after scoring the second goal for Watford

SkySports report that Premier League competitors West Bromwich Albion are in talks to sign Ighalo, with a fee of £17 million touted.

This would be less than half the amount Watford rejected last season, so to that end, a good price, but on Ighalo’s form this season the Baggies are at risk of seriously overpaying.

If Ighalo’s form last season was a Cinderella success story of an unlikely prolific goalscorer, this season he has turned back into a pumpkin.

He has only scored once this season in the Premier League, with both his goal and assist coming in a 4-2 win over West Ham back on September 10.

Ighalo has remained a regular starter for the Hornets, but goals have deserted him, and he has looked anything but a £17 million player, let alone a £38 million one.

Watford’s Odion Ighalo reacts after missing a chance to score

West Brom know all too well from carrying Saido Berahino the past two seasons, that Premier League success can be fleeting, and once a goalscorer loses his touch, there is no guarantee he will recover it.

Ighalo is 27 and would be able to relieve some of the pressure on Salomon Rondon up front.

They would hope they are buying a player who would need no adjustment to playing in the Premier League, but on the evidence of this season, perhaps not.