Being part of Manchester United is a dream come true for Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo and it appears he does not want it to end. Currently on loan, the 30-year-old is reportedly ready to make a huge sacrifice for as long as he will remain with the Red Devils.
For that to happen, Ighalo will need to sacrifice big money. And per The Sun, the striker is ready to give up about $7.3 million per season just to stay under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Nigerian has made a good account of himself this season, rebuffing critics who ridiculed him. He justified the decision of Solskjaer to add him during the January transfer window and has become a prominent fixture for the Red Devils.
But before that arrangement can be done, Solskjaer needs to work on the case of Ighalo. He is under contract with the Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League and will need to be bought out. Based on his performance, seeing that happen should be no problem moving forward. He is under contract with the Chinese team until January 2021, Yahoo Sports reported.
The decision to take a major pay cut also raises some questions on the decision of Ighalo. Marcus Rashford is due to return for Man Utd, meaning there is a chance that his playing minutes could dwindle. From the looks of it, the Nigerian striker is hardly bothered by it and ready to take on whatever role just to live his childhood dream. Ighalo has been a fan of Manchester United since he was young so hooking up with the team is fulfillment in its own.
At the way that Ighalo is playing, it won't come as a surprise if he is given a permanent and long-term contract. He has made a big difference for the Red Devils and his agent, Patrick Bastianelli believes that he has finally gotten his due in an interview with Tuttosport.
“Odion is reaping what he deserves after many sacrifices, after many years around Europe," Bastianelli said. “Manchester is a prize for everything he’s shown in recent years.”
Ironing things out on Ighalo's future will have to wait. Like most sports leagues, competitive football is now on pause due to the worsening problem of the coronavirus pandemic. There is no telling when the games will resume but the CDC recommends sporting events to be put on hold for the next eight weeks. After that, the resumption of games will depend on what the coronavirus situation status would be.
