Manchester United want to sign Odion Ighalo on a permanent deal from Shanghai Shenhua, it has been reported.
Ighalo joined the Premier League side on loan in January, scoring four times in eight appearances.
According to Evening Standard, the Red Devils are planning to put in a bid of around £15 million for the forward. His current loan deal with Manchester United ends in May, which means his current spell with the club is over as the Premier League is not going to resume this month.
The report states that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants more options upfront, and hence could decide to sign Ighalo on a permanent deal. Ighalo’s current contract with the Chinese club expires in 2021.
A wise decision to sign Odion Ighalo on a permanent deal?
Following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, Manchester United did not sign a replacement for either of them. Subsequently, Solskjaer’s options upfront became limited, as Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were the only the first-team strikers left.
He domino effect meant youngster Mason Greenwood got more first-team opportunities and he certainly took his chances well.
But, it’s quite obvious that a club like Manchester United can’t depend on just three strikers, one of whom is just 18 years of age.
The Red Devils need to sign another striker in the summer, apart from additions in wide areas as well as a central midfielder. Signing Ighalo on a permanent deal would be a good move for United, in the short term.
The Nigerian offers something different to both Rashford and Martial, as he can play with his back against the goal and hold the ball up. Ighalo is a physical player who can bully defenders, while he is also a decent finisher.
The likes of Werner, Jimenez and Dembele are talented young players, but they may cost a lot more than Ighalo. This would mean that signing the club’s No. 1 target, Jadon Sancho, would be a problem, as the young Englishman is set to be brought in on an expensive deal. Ighalo would be a good short-term fix to United’s lack of depth upfront.
And as we have seen in the 2019-20 season, he is dedicated to the Manchester United cause and wants to win every game he plays, which is what Solskjaer expects from the players he signs.
