Manchester United’s attempts to extend Odion Ighalo’s loan deal have reached an impasse.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to keep the striker until the end of the Premier League season by negotiating an extension to his current agreement, which expires on May 31.
But Shanghai Shenhua are demanding the Nigeria international returns to China for the start of the Chinese Super League campaign, meaning Ighalo could have played his last game for United.
As reported by Standard Sport last week, at present United are only pursuing a short-term deal, rather than a permanent move for 30-year-old who has scored four goals in three starts since arriving in January.
Shanghai are believed to want £20million for Ighalo, who Solskjaer admitted had played his way into a potential transfer before the season was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Watford forward’s original deal did not include an option to buy, with United only ever seeing him as a short-term solution before turning their attention to leading targets.
It is understood Solskjaer still wants to sign a central striker as competition for Anthony Martial in the summer – but targets like Timo Werner and Moussa Dembele remain at the forefront of his thinking.
While Solskjaer is eager to keep hold of Ighalo, Marcus Rashford’s return to fitness during lockdown means his attack will be boosted by time United return to action.
Even if United decide to pursue a permanent deal it would require Ighalo to take a massive reduction in salary, which is believed to be in the region of £300,000-a-week at Shanghai.
