The unfolding saga about the possibility or not of Odion Jude Ighalo getting a full contract at Manchester United of England has been hit with a heavy blow of criticism from one of The Red Devils’ former players, as Gary Neville is skeptical about the former Super Eagles’ star’s ability to justify any amount spent on him.
Although Ighalo has hit the ground running and netted four goals in only eight matches so far for The Red Devils, which he joined in January on loan from Shanghai Shenhua of China, Neville is still critical about what the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer can bring to the table.
With such doubt ruling his thoughts, regardless of the fact that Ighalo’s form has attracted some transfer interest from English Premier League rivals, Newcastle United, Neville is warning his former club to think twice about signing the Nigerian hitman for £20m.
Dramatically, while Ighalo is eager to stay on until at least the end of the season at Old Trafford, where his loan deal ends on May 31, Shenhua have the right to recall their player next month and they have already offered him a new deal worth 400,000 pounds a week, ahead of the start of the Chinese Super League season.
An additional report on Monday disclosed that United have opened a contingency plan, in the advent of their inability to hook Ighalo to a new deal next month, as The Red Devils are now monitoring Edinson Cavani’s situation at Paris Saint-Germain and they are considering making a move for the experienced striker this summer.
While uncertainty lingers over Ighalo, Cavani remains a target for the Premier League giants, with Manchester Evening News reporting that the Uruguayan star’s contract is expiring this summer, and he has been heavily linked with Atletico Madrid.
Along the line, though, Shenhua have reportedly told United to pay £20m if they wish to sign the 30-year-old on a permanent basis, but Neville does not believe that would represent good value for money in the current market.
Neville posited: “Is Ighalo worth £20m? Probably not in this market. He may have been if he continued before scoring goals but you probably don’t need now to spend £20m.”
