Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has one less problem following the confirmation that loan signing Odion Ighalo will remain at Old Trafford long enough to finish the season. A new deal forged with Shanghai Shenhua will ensure that the Nigerian can still help out when the Premier League resumes on June 17.
The extension that the two parties agreed on will see the 30-year-old striker playing for another eight months with the Red Devils, meaning he will be with the English club until the season end and up to the initial months of the next campaign.
According to ESPN, the new deal requires United to pay Ighalo's parent club an estimated €4 million as an additional fee. It is understood that the new agreement does not include an option or obligation to buy the goalscorer, whose four goals in nine appearances for the club impressed Solskjaer.
In a statement, United confirmed that Ighalo "will now remain with the Reds until Jan. 31 2021, enabling him to build on an impressive start to life with the club he supported as a boy."
The arrangement is seen by the club as a boost for Solskjaer's plan of preparing the team for competitive football later in the month. The squad has already commenced training and will first step on the pitch on June 20, facing off with Tottenham.
The same report indicated that Ighalo's signing will now allow United to focus on upgrading the club's forward line. Solskjaer is thought to be pushing ahead with the plan to lure Jadon Sancho away from Borussia Dortmund, a deal that the Norwegian is looking to complete in the next transfer window.
Also targeted by the club are Jack Grealish and Moussa Dembele that hopefully could be convinced to make the jump in the summer. Grealish will be coming from Aston Villa, while Dembele will need to transfer from France.
It is unclear for now if United will eventually make permanent the deal on Ighalo but in such a case, Metro said the asking price set by Shenhua for the sale is £20 million. Should Solskjaer decide to get the Nigerian beyond January 2021, it is expected that a deal with the Chinese Super League could be reached without any glitch.
The United boss said talking business with the Chinese club has been smooth sailing and revealed the other side is quite accommodating.
Solskjaer said he is optimistic about United winning matches and titles with Ighalo, which he noted is a childhood dream becoming a reality for the Nigerian.
