• As Eagles winger joins Barca
BY MONICA IHEAKAM
Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo has passed his medical ahead of his proposed £20million move to Chinese side, Changchun Yatai.
The 27-year-old has had reservations about the move which has prompted late calls from Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion.
Watford manager Walter Mazzarri admitted Ighalo’s departure was imminent on Monday night, saying:
‘Every morning, I ask the club what the situation is, and negotiations are now at an advanced stage, so it should only be a matter of a couple of days.’
Meanwhile, Enyimba striker Ezekiel Bassey has secured a loan move to the B-team of FC Barcelona for the rest of the season, according to the Spanish club.
The deal has a clause of an outright purchase of two years for the 20-year-old forward who underwent medical tests in Barcelona yesterday.
Financial terms of the deal completed on deadline day remain undisclosed.
The Spanish giants announced on Tuesday that they had “reached an agreement” with seven-time Nigerian champions for the services of the young forward to join their B-team for the rest of the season.
“FC Barcelona and Enyimba Football Club have reached an agreement for the transfer until the end of season of the player Ezekiel Joseph Bassey for Barça B.
Bassey, who can play as a forward or as a wide man, was one of 23 players in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) All-Star that went for a week tour in Spain following the partnership between the League Management Company (LMC) and the Spanish La Liga.
The former Akwa United man has not featured in this season’s NPFL, apparently tidying up the move to Barca.
However, if Bassey impresses at La Masia, he could earn himself a graduation to the senior team and join the like of Emmanuel Amuneke and Gbenga Okunowo as the Nigerians to play for the Catalan side at senior level.