Odion Ighalo is in line to surpass the goal tally of retired South African star, Quinton Fortune for Manchester United with the Nigerian hit-man having already become the second best African signing at Old Trafford, Completesports.com reports.
Ighalo in January became the first Nigerian player in Man United history and the seventh representing the whole of Africa, a continent where the club has long drawn much loyal support.
Ighalo has scored four goals in eight appearances across all competitions so far for United including at least one strike in each of his three starts against Club Brugge, Derby County (2) and LASK.
United’s first African player, Fortune who joined from Atletico Madrid in August 1999 went on to score 11 goals in 126 overall appearances during his seven-year spell at Old Trafford.
United have reached an agreement with Chinese Super League club, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua and extended the loan deal with Ighalo. The attacker’s stay was initially due to end on 31 May. But the former Super Eagles forward will now remain with the Red Devils until 31 January, 2021, giving him the opportunity to build on an impressive start to life with the club he supported as a boy.
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Also with his new deal until January of next year, Ighalo has been given the opportunity to become the highest scoring African player for United as he needs seven more goals to equal Fortune’s tally.
But with Ighalo known as prolific striker, it is very much possible for the Ajegunle-born attacker to go
ahead and even score as many as eight more goals to become United’s best African player.
Man United’s six previous African players
QUINTON FORTUNE
Nationality: South Africa
Appearances: 126
Goals: 11
ERIC DJEMBA-DJEMBA
Nationality: Cameroon
Appearances: 39
Goals: 2
MANUCHO
Nationality: Angola
Appearances: 3
Goals: 0
MAME BIRAM DIOUF
Nationality: Senegal
Appearances: 9
Goals: 1
WILFRIED ZAHA
Nationality: Ivory Coast
Appearances: 4
Goals: 0
ERIC BAILLY
Nationality: Ivory Coast
Appearances: 74
Goals: 1
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
