Man United Extends Ighalo’s Loan Deal Till January 2021

Arguments by soccer pundits over the propriety of former Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo extending his stay at Old Trafford have now been rested with the on-loan striker offered another opportunity to continue pursuing his passion at the Theatre of Dreams till the end of 2020 calendar year

Manchester United confirmed they have agreed with Chinese Super League club, Shanghai Shenhua, to extend Ighalo’s current deal that will keep him at the Theatre of Dreams until January 2021.

Ighalo arrived from China on a temporary loan deal on the final day of the January 2020 transfer window, to provide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with cover for the injured Marcus Rashford who was sidelined with a back issue.

Hitting the ground running, the Nigerian, who previously played for Premier League side Watford, impressed in his eight appearances before lockdown and the consequent postponement of football in England and the rest of the world.

In his short stint before the global lockdown, Ighalo scored four goals in three starts, making the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-managed United keen to extend his loan until the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

Expectedly, discussions with Shenhua became protracted, with the Chinese side keen to have their forward back ahead of the Super League season which commences soon.

However, after weeks of negotiations, both clubs agreed on a deal that keeps Ighalo at Old Trafford on loan until the end of January 2021.

Though United had already paid Shenhua a loan fee for the initial five-month spell, it is reported that the new arrangement will see the Chinese Club receiving another package from the Red Devils for the extended loan period.

With no discussions on the table to keep the 30-year-old at Old Trafford on a permanent basis, Solskjaer has been keen from the start to have Ighalo in his squad till season ending

“It’s been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish off what he started, with a trophy for us,” Solskjaer told MUTV.

The Premier League is set to restart on June 17 and Solskjaer should have a fully-fit squad at his disposal with long-term absentees Rashford and Paul Pogba both completing their recovery during lockdown.

Ighalo’s loan extension means there will be a fight for places up front as well as in midfield, and it is a dilemma Solskjaer is looking forward to having.

“Everyone’s looking sharp, everyone’s been in with a good mood and we’ve been splitting up in groups, so [working in] fours and fives together, and they’ve really done well. So far it’s been good,” Solskjaer told MUTV about the players returning to training.