Manchester United of England striker Odon Jude Ighalo is still rolling out fervent prayers for better days ahead at the English Premier League club even as worries linger over the possibility of him staying longer beyond this month, megasportsarena.com reports.
With Ighalo’s short-term loan spell from Shanghai Shenhua of China coming to an end on May 31, a dark cloud of doubt is hanging over the possibility of him staying with The Red Devils when the season resumes after the ongoing coronavirus break but the former Super Eagles’ star says he is wishing them the very best n days ahead.
This comes at a point an updated report this weekend has revealed that Shenhua expect Ighalo to return from his loan spell at Man United in time for the start of the new Chinese Super League season, which is scheduled to begin in July.
United are keen to extend Ighalo’s loan to cover the end of the EPL season, the date of which remains unclear amid the coronavirus pandemic, but Shenhua will only allow him to remain at Old Trafford if it is on a permanent deal and the Chinese club value him upwards of £20m.
Dramatically, another report has now revealed that The Red Devils’ EPL rivals, Newcastle United would be interested in Ighalo if their proposed takeover is completed this summer, thereby creating yet another moot point about the chances of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 top scorer staying on at The Theatre of Dreams beyond May 31.
Ighalo’s current contract expires in December 2022, but Shenhua want to keep him until at least December 2024, for which they have offered him a sensational two-year contract extension worth £400,000 a week.
However, while reiterating that he wants to play out the season with United, Ighalo disclosed that hearing The Red Devils’ fans chant his name during matches gives him the zeal and spirit to work harder on the pitch and fight with all his energy, in order to score more goals for the team.
Having netted four goals in only eight matches, with just three of them as a starter in the squad, Ighalo has surpassed all expectations on his arrival this January on loan from Shanghai Shenhua of China, but the former Super Eagles’ star says it is all down to support he gets from the fans.
He took his mind back to his first goal for The Red Devils, which came in a UEFA Europa League last 32 game against Club Brugge of Belgium, and recounted how chanting from the stands spurred him to continue firing on all cylinders and left him with a strong conviction in his heart that he would give more for the team in all their subsequent matches.
Having also provided an assist before the suspension of all action because of coronavirus, Ighalo admitted he is happy with the impact he has already been able to achieve with The Red Devils, even as he picked his first start for the side, which helped him net his maiden goal for the team, will remain ever fresh on his mind.
The goal came after 30-year-old Ighalo stepped out from the start against the Belgian side at Old Trafford, after playing as a second-half substitute in his first two outings for the team he joined on January transfer deadline day, and he surprisingly hit target in the 34th minute, after which he was positively stunned to hear the fans chanting his name, and he was fired up to give more.
Ighalo told BBC World Service: “I would like to finish the season if it’s possible. I was in good form, good shape, scoring goals and now we’ve stopped for over a month. I’ve given it my best and hopefully we’ll come back to play. The team had a good momentum before the pandemic started. At the moment I’m on loan, and this will cut short my time at the club.
“The club, myself, every footballer is going through a lot because we can’t do what we love and what we know how to do best, so we’re just thinking about that for now and to finish the season before we start thinking about the contract.
“It’s a great memory and it was a dream come true. Starting your first game and scoring your first goal at the same time, it’s something you’ll always cherish in your life. In the years to come, I’ll look back at my first start for the team and my first goal.
“The atmosphere in the stadium was mad; the fans were singing and supporting the team. They were supporting me and singing my name and that gave me more courage and more spirit to fight, to score even more. I’m very happy about that. It’s going to be in my head forever.”
