Former Super Eagles’ striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has gained confirmation of his move to Al-Shabab of Saudi Arabia in a full transfer from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of China, from where he had been on loan at Manchester United of England since last year January.
However, megasportsarena.com reports, after failing to get relevance at Old Trafford in the second half of his loan spell with The Red Devils, which began in July, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations bronze medalist and top scorer opted not to return to the Chinese Super League.
After scoring five goals across 23 appearances in all competitions for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, Ighalo dropped in The Red Devils’ pecking order following the arrival of Uruguayan star, Edinson Cavani, which marked the beginning of he end for the icon, who supported United while growing up as a kid in Ajegunle area of Lagos.
Ighalo, who arrived at Carrington 12 months ago in a deadline day loan deal that shocked many and was only initially set to last six months before he impressed enough to earn an extension, had been due to return to China at the end of his deal with Man United last Sunday.
Instead of a reunion with Shenhua, Ighalo has put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year full contract with Al-Shabab, where he is expected to be till end of the 2022/23 season, following a deal that saw his past parent club agreeing to let him go in exchange for 2.5 million euro.
The 31-year-old Ighalo has already been assigned jersey number 89 jersey and the soft-spoken attack, who has also played for Lyn Oslo of Norway, Udinese and Cesena of Italy, Granada of Spain, Watford of England and Changchun Yatai of China, hopes to hit the ground running.
Al-Shabab are currently top of the Saudi Professional League log, as they aim to win their first title since 2011/12, with Ighalo a welcome capture, as he links up with Argentina international star, Ever Banega, who joined from Sevilla of Spain at the end of last season, as well as former Real Betis and Wolves midfielder, Alfred N’Diaye.
The latest new arrival, who had to take a pay cut to make his dream move to United, as he was reeling in an eye-watering £300,000 a week in China, collected £180,000 during his time at Old Trafford and is now in for another good pay day in the Middle East.
He will also aim to replicate his best club statistics, when he hit 39 goals in 100 appearances for Watford, before switching to Changchun Yatai in January 2017, as he was on Thursday handed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the King Fahd Stadium outfit after passing his medical,
Ighalo, who won the 2019 Chinese FA Cup with Shenhua and scored five goals in 23 games in all competitions for United, took to social media to celebrate his new deal, as he stated alongside a video of the Riyadh-based club’s home ground: “New chapter.. we move @alshababsaudifc.”
