Manchester United have completed the signing of former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo on loan from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season, Completesports.com reports.
Although there is no official announcement yet from United.
Reports has it that the deal to bring Ighalo to Old Trafford contains no option to buy.
Also Read: Spurs Fail In Late Bid For Ighalo
Ighalo, who is still in China but is expected to fly to the UK in the next few days, scored 39 goals in 99 matches for Watford between 2014 and 2017.
He then moved to the Chinese Super League, first with Changchun Yatai.
After two seasons he moved to Shanghai Shenhua and has scored 10 times in 19 games.
It is understood there was interest from other Premier League clubs among which include a late bid from Tottenham Hotspur, but Ighalo opted for United.
United accept Ighalo does not fit the club’s policy of trying to sign long-term targets, such as Bruno Fernandes , who moved to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.
However, this move has been done to cover the short-term injury to Marcus Rashford.
Ighalo finished top scorer at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with five goals.
He was also nominated for the 2019 CAF Africa Player of The Year award won by Liverpool’s Sadio Mane.
By James Agberebi
14 Comments
This is a big life lesson for all of us, and it is that…..”…Only God has the FINAL SAY in one’s life…”
The Almighty who makes way where there seems to be none….the ONE who lifts up when the world casts down…..the ONE who say its remaining when the world says its finished…..the ONE who says its game on when the world say its over.
God is great indeed…!
Congrats Odion Jude Ighalo, the 1st Nigerian EVER to play for the great Manchester United.
Your good heart, your works of charity and your perseverance have made lines to fall for you in pleasant places.
Congrats once again.
He whom God has blessed, let no man curse.
Well put, Doc. This is fantastic news for Ighalo fans worldwide. Man United valued him so much, not even the dreaded CORONAVIRUS could stop them from going to get him. At 30 yrs of age, Ighalo is in his prime. They will get their money’s worth from this talented hitman. Best wishes in this new, exciting adventure. Continue to SHAKE THE NET WITH RECKLESS ABANDON.
What shocks me the most is that they even inserted AN OPTION TO BUY in his loan deal. See the kind faith wey dem get in Ighalo o.
Yet his own countryman is here hating him and prophesying failure so that he can come and gloat over it on CSN.
This Ighalo move has really inspired me o. If I had plans on giving up on anything in my life before now such plans have been set ablaze by what has happened tonight. A really big lesson it is.
Congratulations, the stone the builders rejected… And a prophet has no honor in his own town.
I saw it coming and I’m really grateful for him. After winning highest goal scorer in qualifiers and AFCON, yet not included in best CAF best 11 for 2019.
Time to score goals again in EPL, lets now see what the haters will say. Congrats again our own Odion Ighalo. Make Naija proud.
They have already start talking their usual rubbish….they say this is where the whole whole world will be able to judge Ighalo…..LMAO as if it was not the same England he was lighting up with goals along with his solid paddy Troy Deeney a few seasons ago. When Odion score dem go say na tap in….if e score hattrick dem go say na against fishermen team….as if e get some kind goal wey FIFA nor dey record for inside dossier.
A player being chased by Inter, Mourinho’s Tottenham, Man U and Barca (last year) is the one the world will judge now….LMAO. Dey go tell us weda those clubs dem wia sunshade for inside darkness.
Some people mumu ehn, tape rule nor fit measure am….Lolz
Hmmm….that is why I respect Rohr..may be white people’s vision/thinking is a little different I don’t know.
Till tomorrow, some people used to refer to world cup to judge our coach wrongly after 2 years. Rohr Stayed by this guy that even l wasn’t in support of then after he scored the highest goals in qualifiers, then highest goals at the Tournament,when Barca bid for him, I was still thinking is this Ighalo that good to that extent? Now! Manchester United? Hmmm….Rohr will be the first Naija coach that a player will retire under him and he will get a replacement within short time. We knew how many years it took us to find Okocha’s replacement, even oliseh. There was a time that we retired holding Midfield role in National Team under our Home based coaches …Uzoho for Ikeme within short time, Kalu/Chukwueze for Moses, Aribo/soon to be Ejaria for Mikel, Collins for Echiejile and still searching, Osimhen for Ighalo etc
Another thing was how he kept blending Osimhen… telling the press that he has future in Eagues then, Now , the future is here.
Congrats Ighalo…at least, I won’t want to miss Man Utdd matches now.
July 2018: Got death threats after unimpressive WC show
March 2019: Finishes top scorer at AFCONQ
July 2019: Finishes AFCON top scorer
July 2019: Announces international retirement as Eagles’ 8th all-time scorer
Jan. 2020: Joins Man Utd
Ighalo serves a miracle working God.
The only news bigger than this would have been Daniel Akpeyi to Liverpool Lol
What a story!!! Odion Ighalo woke up as a shanghai shenhua player to become a man united player. From Julius berger(Nigeria) to lyn oslo(Norway) to udinese(Italy) to granada(spain) to watford(England) to shanghai(china) and now to man utd(england). This is grace mehm…
Indeed, the ALMIGHTY GOD is the one who says IT IS REMAINING when the world says it is finished. When God is in action, all a human being can do is watch in amazement. My jaw is still on the ground. This news really knocked my socks off!
Ighalo THOROUGHLY deserves this. The best striker in Africa should be playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Etoo played for Barca. Drogba played for Chelsea. Why not Ighalo at Man United? Tomorrow, Man United will be hosting Wolves at Old Trafford. Many Nigerians, including myself, look forward to Ighalo making his debut. See me ooooo! I have become a Man United fan overnight! 🙂 🙂 🙂
My brother, I cant believe I will now sit down on my couch henceforth for the next 6 months and watch my “bitterest” rival club…..eh o! Unphantomable God…!
this is a very good news. congratulations to odion, for joining one of the great team in the world. record and performance will always speak for one; emerging the highest goal score at afcon qualify ler and afcon tournament. that surely is not an easy feat.
Congratulations Ighalo. I wish you the best. Go and make us proud. God is with you. God bless Nigeria!!!
Congrats Ighalo..
Best of luck
Great news!…congratulations to Odion Ighalo and Nigeria as a whole!…even if he had not been signed by Man United, the fact that he attracted attention from them alongside Spurs, Inter Milan and Barca (last year) speaks volumes….and the fact that they went for him despite the situation in China, shows the high esteem that he is held…I pray God grants him a highly successful period in Man-U…..that alone will open a lot of opportunities for other Nigerian players…