Manchester United of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has received a double dose of good news at Old Trafford, with the club offering him terms of a full contract as well as a huge boost with confirmation that The Red Devils have given up in their pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur’s captain, Harry Kane, megasportsarena.com reports.
United’s hunt for Kane could have put Ighalo’s hope of a full deal at the end of his current loan spell from Shanghai Shenhua of China in doubt heading into the summer, but the former Super Eagles’ star’s path now appears to have been laid bare, though the new contract’s value falls way below what he could get if he returns to his parent club.
The target of seeing Ighalo convert his loan spell into a full contract at The Theatre of Dreams has been boosted with reports that United have accepted defeat in their £200m chase for Kane, as they are now unwilling to splash cash due to financial chaos caused by the coronavirus crisis.
Ighalo’s hopes of continuing with The Red Devils into next season has been boosted, as the club have been forced to rethink their transfer plans because of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with top shots reckoning that sky-high transfer fees will be off the table for a while.
United had been interested in recruiting a proven goalscorer at the end of the season, and appeared to have been handed a boost in their sensational pursuit after Kane admitted he would not remain at Spurs for peanuts, but the implications of COVID-19 on the sport may mean that the world’s most coveted stars will be forced to remain at their current clubs.
Kane is under contract in north London until 2024 and any switch would shatter United’s record transfer, meaning that signing him has now been rendered a non-starter, though is understood that he has been privately considering his future for a number of months and has set ambitions to win silverware.
The England captain has failed to lift a single trophy at Tottenham since emerging through the club’s youth ranks, and the signing of Kane would have reinforced United’s ambitions of once again challenging for the Premier League title.
Kane’s recruitment would also have boosted the club commercially, considering the 26-year-old’s position as the national team skipper, but they may now have to stick with the existing bargain and aura Ighalo has created since his arrival from China in January.
