Manchester United Agree Deal to Sign Odion Ighalo on Loan From Shanghai Shenhua
By Tom Gott
Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Shanghai Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo on loan for the remainder of the season, according to various sources.
The Red Devils have been looking for someone to replace the injured Marcus Rashford for the last few weeks. And having failed with a deadline day push for Bournemouth's Joshua King, Ighalo emerged as one of the most likely signings who was still available at this point in the window.
It now looks as though United have got their man, as Sky Sports News have revealed that a deal has been agreed to bring Ighalo to Old Trafford for the remainder of the season.
They note that the deal will also include an option to buy, but there is no indication that United will actually look to make the deal permanent, given the trio of Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial will all be ahead of him in the pecking order in the long run.
Ighalo will arrive at United to act as cover for the rest of the Red Devils' forwards, so a permanent move certainly seems unlikely at this stage.
Given Ighalo still remains in China, he will not join up with his new side before the transfer deadline. Instead, Foot Mercato believe that the former Watford man will arrive in Manchester on Sunday, but not before undergoing a medical in China. The Telegraph's Mike McGrath has suggested he could even leave earlier than that.
It is believed that Shanghai Shenhua were open to letting Ighalo leave on loan after the start of the Chinese Super League season was postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, with the team eager to avoid paying Ighalo's wages when he would not be playing.
As a result, Tottenham Hotspur were interested and actually failed with a loan bid, while a source told 90min that West Ham United were attempting to put together a deal. However, the problem was finding a way to pay enough of Ighalo's £300,000-a-week wages.
United are reported to have agreed to pay a third of that number for the duration of the loan.
A deal is expected to be finalised before the transfer deadline on Friday evening.