Nigeria striker, Odion Ighalo, has joined Chinese Super League side, Changchun Yatai, from Watford on a permanent deal, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
No financial details were given but British media put a 20 million pound (20.04 million pounds) figure on the transfer.
The 27-year-old scored 39 goals in 100 appearances in two and a half years at Vicarage Road, including 17 goals in Watford’s first season back in the top flight after securing promotion in 2014/15.
That brought Ighalo, who originally joined Watford on loan in July 2014, a new five-year contract last August.
He has been off the boil this season, however, scoring just once in the Premier League. He has not scored in all competitions for 15 games.
The Nigerian joins a list of top players joining the Chinese soccer gold rush, with Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder, Oscar, joining Shanghai SIPG this month for a reported 60 million euros ($64.79 million).
In a statement announcing the move, Watford said: “All at Watford FC thank Odion for his contributions to the club, and wish him the best of luck for his future career.”
The Nigeria international had previously been linked with a move to fellow Premier League side West Bromwich Albion but the Baggies’ advances were thought to have fallen well short of Watford’s valuation of the player.
Ighalo racked up 33 goals in 91 league appearances for the Hornets, including 20 in their promotion-winning season in 2014-15, but has suffered a goal drought over the last year with just two strikes in 31 Premier League appearances.
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