Odion Ighalo: What Man Utd Fans Need to Know About the New Loan Signing

Right then, so this is a weird one isn't it?

Odion Ighalo is going to Manchester United on a six-month loan.

The transfer has been met with ridicule as the deadline approaches at 11pm on Friday night. But while it's obvious United could be in a far better position than having to race to sign a former Watford forward before an impending deadline, it does at least make some sense when you think about it. 

Here's a few slices of information on the 30-year-old Nigerian international which may make for relevant reading for United fans...

Odion Ighalo to Manchester United - The Terms of the Deal

First things first.

United are set to pay a loan fee of £4m to Shanghai Shenhua to take the striker on loan for six months, according to ​Bleacher Report's Dean Jones.

He pockets £300,000-a-week in China currently, and United are ​set to pay a third of that for the remainder of the season. There is no option to buy the player at the end of the season and it's clear that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side see this as a short term fix.

Ighalo's Career to Date

Ighalo is well travelled when it comes to football clubs. He's 30, and initially moved to Europe with Norwegian side Lyn (not French side Lyon) in 2007. He started making his name on the continent though in loan spells with Granada from Udinese.

He impressed out in Spain (because of goals like below) and then made his way to Watford, initially on loan, as the Pozzo family shifted their cards between the clubs they owned.

Ighalo eventually moved to Vicarage Road permanently, and his best season in the Premier League came in 2015/16 - where he scored 16 goals in 37 games.

The goals dried up eventually though, and he left the Premier League when the Hornets received a suitable offer at the peak of the influx of money from the Chinese Super League into European clubs for big-name players.

The View From Watford

What do Watford fans think of him? And is the move a good idea? 

Let's hear from Jacob Culshaw: "Ighalo is a natural finisher, with the majority of his goals coming from inside the penalty area.

"He thrives in a two striker system, as we saw during the 2015/16 season, as Ighalo and [Troy] Deeney forged a fantastic partnership in a 4-4-2. They were likened to Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole as they had one of the highest assist to scorer combinations in the league. Deeney would often use his aerial presence and hold up the ball to play Ighalo in behind.

"Odion was equally as effective in one-on-one situations with defenders, often using his trademark ‘scoop’ turn to go past defenders. Ighalo looked more comfortable playing with a partner at Watford, however Deeney often dropped into a number 10 role - which could be an option for ​United. 

"Ighalo was a fan favourite during his time at Vicarage Road and all Hornets will wish him well at Old Trafford! Although it does strike as a massive panic move..."

Big thanks to Jake, who you can ​follow on Twitter here.

He Top Scored at AFCON

"Oh yeah, I forgot he top scored at AFCON" says ​Chris Deeley, sat a couple of places away from me, pointing out that he was in fact the top scorer at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

He hit five goals in total - the next highest scorers had three each - with only one coming in the group stages. Three came as he attempted to fire Nigeria to the final (two in the last 16 & one in the semi-final), while he hit one in the third-placed play-off too.

The goals have been coming regularly for him, as evidenced below.

How's He Been Doing Out in China?

Well, to be fair. And while it's obviously a much lower standard of football in China, goals can never hurt. He hit 10 goals in 17 Chinese Super League games last season, and spent a chunk of the season out injured. 

It's actually his second club in the Chinese League pyramid, too. His initial transfer from Watford took him to Changchun Yatai in January 2017, and he ended up scoring 36 goals in 55 games prior to his move to Shanghai. 

He last moved in February 2019.

Ighalo Actually Turned Down Barcelona in 2019

Ighalo admitted in March last year that ​Barcelona tried to pull off a similar deal to what United seem to be going through with here. They've had their share of weird arrivals over the last few years - we all remember Kevin-Prince Boateng and Paulinho - but it could have been Ighalo arriving at Camp Nou...

He told ​BBC Sport: "My agent spoke to me about a loan interest from Barcelona. The club wanted a striker with La Liga experience and someone who understands Spanish football.

"It was meant to be a six-month loan and strictly as a back-up striker. It was nice to hear that Barcelona were interested and any footballer would be more than happy to take it. But with due respect I had just finished as the second top scorer in China with 21 goals, I deserve better and didn't want to be a short-term player somewhere.

"We rejected it, it was an easy decision to make and I chose to stay in China by joining Shanghai Shenhua on a longer contract."

United Is Ighalo's Dream Move

That's what Ole wants right? The guys who will come in and put a real shift in. And a player who will "break his nose or toe to score a goal" - and he might've got one given some comments from Ighalo in 2016.

"I’m not sure I’d say no if Manchester United called," he said, via the ​Metro. "They were my team growing up. I loved watching Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke on TV. They were my idols and playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream."

Ighalo's Squad Number Options

Bruno Fernandes took the number 18 earlier this week and could make his debut against Wolves, but we won't be seeing Ighalo in red until after the club's winter break.

Ighalo has a number of numbers available to him. Marcos Rojo's 16 could be available following his departure to Estudiantes, while 19, 25, 27, 30 and 31 are also available.

Given he's a striker, number 19 might be the likely one.

What's the Verdict, Then?

It's an initially puzzling move, for sure, but United are better off with an extra striking option for the remainder of the season than not having one.

Marcus Rashford will miss a large chunk of the remainder of the season, meaning United had only two senior options to fill the centre forward role. And that's not great when Solskjaer wants the flexibility to play two strikers at times. 

Ighalo is not expected to play a big role, is not set to join permanently and is a cheap, short-term fix. Yes it's a valid criticism of United that they're even in a position to need a short-term fix, but needs must. They insist a long-term plan is in place and a six-month loan will cover them for now and allow them to get in someone they actually want when it comes to the summer.

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