Manchester United of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has received another massive backing to hit even better marks in the second half of his loan spell from Shanghai Shenhua of China, as statistics released by Opta show how spectacular he was in his first two months at Old Trafford, megasportsarena.com reports.
Against all forecasts, Ighalo turned into a major hit with The Red Devils, as he struck four goals in eight matches, only three of which were in the squad’s starting line-up, and Opta have now reeled out startling figures to prove just good the Nigerian striker was from February to March.
That came in the wake of his stunning last minute arrival on transfer deadline day, after which he was forced to spend two weeks in self-isolation due to worries over coronavirus, and he defied all odds to make hay for his dream club, which he will now have even much longer to time to excel with, starting from their first match in the restart of the English Premier League season away to Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend of June 19 to 21.
The stats show that 30-year-old Ighalo has had limited time to make an impact, as he did not make his debut until February 17, with the coronavirus pandemic halting the season under a month later, and he has made a total of 8 appearances for United across all competitions, 3 of which were starts, accumulating 319 minutes on the pitch.
The report adds that Ighalo has scored 4 goals, right in line with his expected goals total of 4.03, and fired in 17 shots on goal, 11 of which were on target, with a shot conversion rate of 23.5 per cent and he created 8 chances for his team-mates, which includes his 1 assist.
The stats are also favourable for Ighalo compared to other strikers in the EPL’s big six squads of Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal; as none has scored more than his 4 goals across all competitions since February 17, and the only forward who matches him in that tally is in fact team-mate Anthony Martial.
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has scored 3, comes closest, while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (19) is the only player to fire in more shots, while Ighalo is the top performer when it comes to attempts on target, with Martial second as he sits three behind.
Martial and Mason Greenwood both have better shot conversion rates of 28.57 per cent, with Aubameyang (42.86 per cent) coming out on top in that category, but Ighalo’s mark is still better than that of Salah (10.53 per cent), Sadio Mane (13.33 per cent) and Roberto Firmino (7.4 per cent) – as well as City duo Gabriel Jesus (15.38 per cent) and Sergio Aguero (13.33 per cent).
Jesus (10) and Salah (9) created marginally more chances than Ighalo, but no other top striker registered more than half of his tally of 8, with Aguero, Mane, Firmino and Greenwood all on 4 as others fared worse; while he and Mane were the only forwards to register 1 assist over that time too, with his creative play proving an added bonus for United over his early appearances.
However, despite so many odds favouring Ighalo, Sky Sports News reporter, James Cooper has revealed that United were involved in difficult negotiations with Shenhua before extending the star’s loan deal at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils announced earlier this week that the former Super Eagles’ striker will remain on loan with the club until the end of January 2021, after Ighalo initially joined United in this year’s winter transfer window and scored four times in his first eight appearances for the club before football was postponed in March.
The centre-forward had been due to return to his parent club at the end of May, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side eventually extended his stay after complicated talks with the Chinese outfit and Cooper has revealed details of how the deal almost never saw the light of day.
Cooper stated: “The deal to keep Odion Ighalo at the club has been one of United’s recruitment priorities since football was put on hold and, with the prospect of a lot of games in a compressed period, retaining a player of his pedigree was considered crucial. That doesn’t mean to say it was an easy negotiation, however.
“The initial loan deal secured in the few remaining hours of the January window hadn’t been an easy one to conclude, and going into talks to extend his stay further wasn’t something those involved were particularly relishing either… once again the deal got done, but it wasn’t plain sailing and it was hung in the balance last weekend.”
Soon after sealing an extended stay at Old Trafford, Ighalo enthused that he will cherish every moment, even after he initially feared that his dream would be cut short by Shenhua demanding him to return to China after his short loan spell was ended by coronavirus pandemic
Ighalo told Sky Sports: “Not every dream comes to pass, but mine has. I was very worried it wasn’t going to happen. Shanghai wanted me to return because they know what I can do, and they believe in me so it was a bit difficult. But I want to thank them for agreeing to my wish to stay at Manchester United. I want to thank the manager Ole for pushing as well.
“It’s so hard to explain, but I still have the same feeling. I want to go every day to train with these young players and show what I can do. This is a great achievement for me to be at this club and I will never take it for granted.
“I’m going to be 31 soon and playing for United is something great for me. It is happening towards the last stage of my football career, which makes me feel even happier. That’s why I cherish every moment of being at this club.
“I thought it was a joke. I was playing in Shanghai. That was against me. Would a club as a big as United be looking in China for a striker? That was against me. My age. That was against me. There was a pandemic in China. That was against me. I said no this is a joke. Later when it got serious, I thought only when I fly to Manchester will I believe it.”
