By Dipo Olowookere
Former Nigerian and Watford striker, Odion Ighalo, has joined Manchester United on a six-month loan deal from his Chinese club, Shanghai Shenhua.
Ighalo, whose boyhood club is the Red Devils, scored a total of 39 goals when he played in 99 matches for Watford between 2014 and 2017 before his move to China to first play for Changchun Yatai in the Chinese Super League for two seasons and then to Shanghai Shenhua, netting 10 times in 19 games this season.
With his loan move to Manchester United, Ighalo becomes the first Nigerian to play for the club, which is one of the most successful and biggest in the world and has a huge following back in his home country.
The 30-year-old Nigerian, who was signed on deadline day on Friday in January transfer window, is still in China, but is expected at Old Trafford in the next few days. He is joining the club to serve as a stopgap for Marcos Rashford, who was injured on January 15 in an FA Cup home match against Wolves. He will be out of action for months.
Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, described his new signing as a “great lad and very professional,” who he further said “will come in and give us an option of a different type of centre-forward for the short spell he’s staying with us.”
He expressed confidence that the “experienced player [will] make the most of his time here” at Old Trafford. The family of Ighalo are presently in Manchester.
United do not have a clause to sign the Lagos-born Edo State striker at the end of his loan spell this summer.
Ighalo finished as top scorer in African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying with seven goals, before scoring five at the tournament during the summer.
Before settling for Ighalo on deadline day, United had made moves for their former boy, Josh King, who now ply his trade for Bournemouth, as well as Teemu Pukki of Norwich City.
Modupe Gbadeyanka