Newcastle have experienced striker Odion Ighalo on their list of transfer targets ahead of the January window and he would ‘seriously consider’ a move to St James’ Park, according to Sky Sports.
Ighalo will be known to Newcastle fans from two previous stints in English football with Watford and Manchester United.
Newcastle keen on ex-Watford and Man United striker
He’s currently playing for Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab and he’s scored nine times in 13 Pro League appearances so far this season, making him the joint-top goalscorer in the league.
The ex-Nigeria international is under contract until the summer of 2023, but Sky Sports report that Al-Shabab have asked him if he would consider a switch to the Toon.
It’s thought that the interest was warmly received and that if Newcastle made contact, he would strongly consider moving.
Newcastle have been linked with Ighalo before.
Back in May 2020, Sky Sports reported that they were keen to sign him from Shanghai Shenhua, but their takeover was delayed and the move didn’t materialise.
Ighalo a short-term fix for Magpies?
This is certainly not the kind of transfer most Newcastle fans would have had in mind when the high-profile takeover of their club was finally completed in October.
However, it’s thought that higher-profile players are being put off by Eddie Howe’s side’s position in the league table.
As a result, short-term fixes may be required next month and Ighalo certainly knows where the goal is.
He wasn’t prolific during his time at Old Trafford but he did score five times and although the standard of the Pro League is clearly much lower than the English top-flight, he’s still thriving there aged 32.
Perhaps bringing Ighalo in on a relatively short-term deal in the upcoming window would take the pressure off Callum Wilson and if he could bag a few important goals and help the club beat the drop, then the exciting transfer work could begin.
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