Manchester United of England striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has been informed in unmistakable terms that the only reason why he got a loan extension at Old Trafford from his parent club, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of China is because they will not be able to get him back due to new restrictions placed on travels returning from outside the Asian country, megasportsarena.com reports.
With the new regulations prohibiting any foreigners from returning to China until October, Shenhua realized that it would be practically impossible to have Ighalo back in their team for the start of the new Chinese Super League season at the end of this month, hence their decision to reluctantly allow him continue at United until January.
Whatever the case, Ighalo is celebrating another miraculous feat in his Manchester fairytale, as both clubs eventually agreed after prolonged deliberations that he can stay at Old Trafford till January 31, with United paying a £6m loan fee and one-third of his £300,000-a-week contract.
However, Shenhua went on to expatriate that they accepted the terms due to the delayed start to the Chinese Super League and visa issues caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, even as additional reports revealed that United will spend a total of £10.5m on keeping Ighalo till early next year, after achieving a last-minute extension of his shared package.
The Daily Mail added that United have agreed to pay £130,000 of Ighalo’s £300,000-a-week contract, after the striker’s first loan deal, which commenced this year January, expired this past Sunday, and The Red Devils will still have to shell out another £6m to Shenhua as part of the total fees agreed with Shenhua at the start of this week.
However, the report adds that there is also no obligation or option to make the 30-year-old Ighalo, who hit home four goals in eight appearances across his first two months with United, before games were suspended, get a permanent transfer at the end of his new loan deal.
He will now aim to make the best of the remaining part of this season and first half of the next, even as further hints have emerged that United will still buy another striker to rival him in their squad this summer.
It was gathered that The Red Devils’ manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to add more bite and competition to his attack that has alongside Ighalo the trio of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood, in order not to be cut napping again should any of them get injured.
While Ighalo did not extend his contract with Shenhua and no purchase clause was inserted into his new loan deal with United, the Chinese club affirmed that they only agreed for him to stay at Old Trafford due to uncertainty surrounding after effects of COVID-19 and restrictions placed on anyone returning to the Oriental Nation from another country.
A club statement read: “In view of the uncertainty over the opening of the new Chinese Super League season and the uncertainty over foreign aid policy, Shanghai Greenland Shenhua and Manchester United have extended the loan for the Nigerian player Odion Ighalo.”
An additional report by Sport Sohu affirmed that United initially wanted to extend Ighalo’s loan deal for another three months, until August 31, but Shenhua’s officials stood their ground during negotiations.
The report added: “One is the question of the opening time of the Chinese Super League. It has not been determined yet. In addition, the issue of foreign quota may be a double foreign quota for some time in the future.
“Ighalo will not be able to return to China temporarily. If the loan is unsuccessful, it is a waste of resources. Renewing the loan for half a year is equivalent to revitalizing the resources. If Ighalo is in good condition and can be recovered after six months, he can also be sold to Manchester United. Now.”
