HIGH-FLYING Peter Utaka was very close to a switch to the English Premier League with several clubs like Wigan, Sunderland and Fulham interested in snatching him from Danish club OB Odense.

MTNFootball.com gathered that Sunderland had lined up Utaka as a option for Ghana striker Asmoah Gyan, but after  Rennes finally completed his record-breaking 13 million pounds switch on transfer deadline day, Utaka was shut out of the picture.

Other EPL teams who queued up for the younger brother of John Utaka of Portsmouth were Wigan Athletic and Fulham, while Everton watched him in action in Monday night’s Danish league game in which he netted the match winner against FC Midtylland.

Utaka was on target in the 67th minute.

“There have been many scouts following my progress, but as a professional I do not allow this to bother me. My focus is on giving 110% week in, week out,” he insisted.

Top Ger-man club, Hamburg was also interested in signing the former Royal Antwerp of Belgium star, but it appears none of these clubs could match the five million Euros asking price of Odense.

They were also sceptical about the standard of the Danish league. “Now my focus is on playing in the Europa League. It will be a great opportunity for me to show what I’m capable of in such a top tournament and hopefully help myself to more goals,” said Utaka, who has thus far fired four goals in the competition.

“And after Christmas, anything can happen.” Utaka would have made a smooth switch to England without the necessity of a work permit as he has European citizenship by virtue of his marriage to a Belgian woman.