Man Utd Sign Odion Ighalo on Loan Until End of the Season

Manchester United have completed a loan move for Chinese Super League striker Odion Ighalo - with the player joining until the end of the current season.

The Nigeria international left Watford in 2017 for Changchun Yatai in 2017 before joining Shanghai Shenhua, with whom he won the Chinese FA Cup this year.

United have been on the hunt for a striker to help deal with their current injury crisis, with Marcus Rashford ruled out for the foreseeable future with a back problem, and the club confirmed the deal at one minute past midnight – 61 minutes past the deadline. 

Names like Islam Slimani, Josh King, Salomon Rondon and Edinson Cavani were all banded around as potential targets, before it was reported on Friday evening that personal terms and a salary had been agreed.

​United will not have an automatic option to buy Ighalo at the end of his loan spell, should the 30-year-old impress at Old Trafford.

The former Udinese forward impressed at Vicarage Road during the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, scoring 35 league goals across the two campaigns.

He would struggle in 2016/17, however, eventually sealing a move to Changchun Yatai, scoring a hatful before switching the Jilin Province for Shanghai.

He will provide added striking options for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has utilised ​Anthony Martial up front for the most of the season with ​Rashford covering when the Frenchman was struck down with injury.