Meanwhile, Quique Sanchez Flores has welcomed rumours linking Ighalo to Arsenal as proof of Watford’s impressive performances this season.
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Odion Ighalo has the support of his manager at Watford if he wants to join Nigeria at the Olympics.
The 26-year-old has already 14 goals in his tally in his first Premier League season and still hungry to score more. I can tell you that if he is in good shape when we want to go to the tournament, he will of course be one of the players we want to pick. Some players want to go to the Olympic games, other players prefer to rest.
“He is one of the best strikers in the division so [speculation] is very normal”, Flores said.
Ighalo was linked with a move to Man United and Chelsea in the January transfer window, but now it would appear that Wenger has stolen a march on the competition, lining up a £20million bid in the summer.
Ighalo, who has scored just twice in his last 10 games, has formed a deadly partnership with Troy Deeney, although he too has endured something of a barren spell in recent weeks.
“It’s good. I like speculation for all the players in the squad”.
Watford faces AFC Bournemouth for the 100th time in the league Saturday and Quique Sanchez Flores expects a hard test.
“They are very good professionals – we were right when we were choosing the players in the summer – so the atmosphere in the dressing room is really, really positive”. “We know how Bournemouth have been working since a year ago”.
But really we have some but they must have to be in form by then. I remember, in the first half they played and and in the second half, we dominated the situation.
“It is even tougher now we are in the Premier League but I felt we showed a lot of quality and confidence against Everton, especially the lads who have not been in the team”.
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“What we learned is they have a very good team”, he said. “But now we are focussing on the present”.
