Football action is all set to resume in June, barring any new developments linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some players hold live contracts that need to be addressed. One of them is Odion Ighalo who is currently on loan to Manchester United from Shanghai Shenhua. His deal ends at the end of May.
Regardless, most were left to believe that United would be negotiating for something with the Chinese team. It was either a loan extension or a buyout. If it was the latter, the Red Devils would need to pay roughly £20 million to officially acquire the Nigerian footballer. Unfortunately, none of the two options is going down.
In a report from ESPN, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is trying to work on an extension but it appears he has been informed by management to be ready to play on without Ighalo. Though a new loan deal is not out of the question, it remains to be seen if Shenhua would agree to one. There is a growing belief that the Chinese team was ready to unload Ighalo for the said transfer fee so the development comes a bit of a surprise.
It was not explained why such has occurred. But most are pointing it to the fact that most clubs are trying to brace for the financial difficulties that lie ahead. With games suspended, revenue from games is expected to factor in heavily. Aside from that, the road ahead is not looking that promising either with games to be played in front of no audience.
It would be a big disappointment on the part of Ighalo who was pretty happy playing at Old Trafford. He was living a dream playing there but it appears that is about to come to an end unless a new deal crops up in the coming weeks.
Ighalo had been filling in perfectly with several starts out due to injury. With him around, the Red Devils were somehow keeping themselves afloat, buying injured players time until they are ready to return.
Another possible reason behind the suggestion of holding off any Ighalo transfer, for now, is perhaps due to priorities. Like most teams, United has several targets in mind. They may not be high-priced but Man Utd is trying to wiggle its finances to make sure they get the right mix of players next season. Ighalo could still be in the mix but it remains unknown where he ranks among the list of United targets.
