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Tag: Odion Ighalo

  • Ighalo will take £75m personal gamble for Man Utd stay

    Ighalo will take £75m personal gamble for Man Utd stay

    Odion Ighalo is putting at risk £75 MILLION over his commitment to Manchester United.

    The Daily Star says Ighalo is willing to risk a new £75m contract with Shanghai Shenhua to remain with United for the rest of the season.

    Ighalo joined United on a short-term loan in January and has proved a huge success after scoring four times in eight appearances.

    His deal expires this weekend and he is wanted back in China, where Shenhua are gearing up for the start of the new season next month, after the start date in March was put back due to Covid-19.

    But Ighalo remains desperate to see out the Premier League campaign with United, who are keen to retain his services so he can provide attacking cover for Marcus Rashford.

    Talks between both clubs are ongoing and Ighalo has made a personal plea to Shenhua bosses to allow him to stay with United.

    Ighalo, 30, has been offered a new three-year deal worth a staggering £480,000-a-week, but Shenhua chairman Wu Xiaohui has made it clear these terms will be reviewed unless he gets the commitment he wants from the Nigerian international.

    The stand-off needs to be resolved in the next 48 hours, with Ighalo willing to jeopardise his bumper new deal in order to see out the campaign with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men.

  • Solskjaer gives update on Ighalo’s future

    Solskjaer gives update on Ighalo’s future

    Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Odion Ighalo can extend his loan stay at Old Trafford but has confirmed an agreement has yet to be reached with Shanghai Shenhua, with the striker’s deal set to expire in a matter of days.

    United would like to extend his loan stay, as new Premier League rules permit, but his parent club Shanghai Shenhua are keen to have him back for the start of the Chinese Super League season.

    Solskjaer has confirmed the two clubs are still in talks but they have yet to reach a resolution and the end of his deal is getting closer.

    “The loan deal went until the end of May now, so obviously he’s supposed to be going back,” Solskjaer told MUTV. “We’re in dialogue. They’ve been great towards us, his club, and allowed him to play for his dream club.

    ”It’s been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish off what he started, hopefully with a trophy for us. At the moment, nothing has been agreed. Their league is going to get started soon so we’re just waiting to see.”

  • A blessing playing with Mikel, Ighalo – Iwobi

    Super Eagles winger Alex Iwobi has stated it was a blessing for him to play with Chelsea icon John Obi Mikel and Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo.

    Mikel spent 14 years with the national team before his retirement from international duty in 2019 after captaining the West Africans to their eighth bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

    The 33-year-old excelled in the midfield role for both his club and country during his playing years, helping them to clinch a number of laurels.

    “I have learnt a lot from Mikel because we play similar positions. Whenever I’m called I play behind the striker, that’s where he likes to play,” Iwobi said in an Instagram Live.

    “In training, whilst watching him on the pitch, whilst I’m on the bench watching him, I’ve always learned, the way he’s physically capable to keep the ball in tight situations.

    “Playing in African culture there’s a lot more physicality, there are a lot more strong duels, the way he’s able to use his body is something I have picked up and try to add to my game.”

    Ighalo, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the greatest Super Eagles strikers, given his clinical finishing and technical ability.

    “With Ighalo, the composure he has when he’s in the box, when he has the opportunity to score, I’m trying to add to my game,” he continued.

    “It’s almost like when he’s clean through on goal, 90 percent of the time the ball is in the back of the net and not with a lot of power but with finesse and style to it.

    “Hopefully, that’s something that not just me but the youngsters like Victor [Osimhen], it is something that we have to put a lot of respect for.

    “Both of them talk to you, they try to help everyone, it was a blessing to play with both of them.”

  • EPL: Man Utd, Ighalo split due in days

    EPL: Man Utd, Ighalo split due in days

    Manchester United management are resigned to losing Odion Ighalo to parent club Shanghai Shenhua in the coming days.

    Due to the coronavirus pandemic forcing the Premier League to take an enforced break, Ighalo’s deal which was until the end of the season is now due to expire next week.

    The Daily Mail attempts by United to extend the deal by another three months have been rebuffed by Shanghai, who want the striker back for the start of their season.

    And it’s now emerging Ighalo could be packing his bags in the coming hours to hope on a flight for Shanghai before the weekend.

    United have been paying £130,000 of Ighalo’s £400,000-a-week salary.

    For their part, United are content with the issue if Ighalo does have to return because Marcus Rashford is fit again.

  • Ex-Super Eagles stars Adepoju, Shorunmu counsel Ighalo on Man U, Shanghai Shenhua choice

    Ex-Super Eagles stars Adepoju, Shorunmu counsel Ighalo on Man U, Shanghai Shenhua choice

    Former Nigerian Internationals, Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu believe Odion Ighalo needs a clear head to decide his future with Manchester United.

    While the Nigerian striker l has stated that he would love to make his six month loan move from Shanghai Shenhua to Man United permanent but the old Trafford outfit are still dilly-dallying over a fresh deal amidst reports that they are willing to bring on board younger strikers.

    Meanwhile, Shanghai Shenhua has offered Ighalo a mouth-watering £400, 000 per week (N190million) wage as an incentive to return to the Chinese side as against the £300, 000 he was receiving before his loan move to Manchester United in January where he currently earns £100,000 per week.

    But Shorunmu said it could be very difficult for players to take an informed decision in such circumstance, advising Ighalo to consider the level he wants to take his career to before making a decision.

    “He(Ighalo) must think of what he wants to do after football before making a decision,” stated the former national team goalkeeper.

    “ Some people might consider the offer from China too good to ignore but money is not all that matters even at the peak of one’s career.”

    Yet Adepoju described the decision as a big one as the Nigerian striker is torn between staying at glamorous club where he would get less pay and moving back to China where mega bucks awaits him.

    He said: “Well, I think it is a big decision for him to make based on the offer from China which is mouth-watering.

    “If Man United is offering him pension in his contract he can take it. The offer from his parent club is very juicy but you never can tell what will happen when he moves back there.

    “Manchester United is a big club with huge pedigree. If they offer Ighalo more than what he is earning presently when the contract is made permanent, he should accept it.

    ” Playing for Man United will be more dignifying and dependable than going to China,” noted Adepoju.

  • Man Utd don’t need to spend £20m on Ighalo – Neville

    Man Utd don’t need to spend £20m on Ighalo – Neville

    Manchester United legend Gary Neville feels the Red Devils “don’t need to spend” £20 million ($25m) on Odion Ighalo this summer.

    Neville who has questioned the Shanghai Shenhua loanee’s value in the current market.

    Ighalo has been an unexpected hit for the Red Devils since completing a short term loan move to Old Trafford in January on transfer deadline day.

    United were criticised for turning to the 30-year-old forward who had spent the previous three years of his career in China, but he quickly proved that he was up to the task of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

    The former United right-back said on Instagram Live: “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.”

     

  • ​Man Utd delay talks over extending Ighalo loan

    ​Man Utd delay talks over extending Ighalo loan

    Manchester United are delaying talks regarding the loan extension for Odion Ighalo.

    The Red Devils want to keep Ighalo for the remainder of this season, even if games go deep into the summer.

    And they may want to sign him for next season as well.

    But the Daily Mail says that talks between United and Shanghai Shenhua, who own Ighalo’s contract, are on hold for now.

    United want to see when the return plans are finalised by the Premier League.

    When they know the dates games will start and finish, they can have a clearer idea of how to negotiate for Ighalo.

  • Man Utd: Odion Ighalo reveals Solskjaer demands

    Man Utd: Odion Ighalo reveals Solskjaer demands

    Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has lifted the lid on the coaching of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

    Ighalo joined United in January on-loan from Shanghai Shenhua.

    He told MUTV: “When I moved to United, I learned a few things from him.

    “During games… there was even a game I scored in, and he said ‘You should have scored more if you do this or do that’.

    “I thought about it and I know if I would have done what Ole said, I would have scored more. He says: ‘You’re a striker, take the chance’. So I’ve learnt a lot from him, in terms of positioning and how to do one or two things in a game.

    “As a striker, it’s good when a striker is coaching you,” Ighalo added. “And, as a striker, you benefit even more than the defenders. He is someone who has scored goals for a long time and has done a lot for United, so it’s good to learn from him.”

  • Ighalo to take pay-cut to stay at Man Utd

    Ighalo to take pay-cut to stay at Man Utd

    Odion Ighalo will have to take a £200,000-a-week pay cut if he wants to turn his loan move at Manchester United into a permanent switch, according to Daily Star.

    Before his January move to Old Trafford in January, the Nigerian forward was earning £300,000-a-week at Shanghai Shenhua.

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen on keeping Ighalo but the striker would have to sacrifice two-thirds of his wages in China to remain to England.

  • No offer from Man Utd yet – Ighalo

    No offer from Man Utd yet – Ighalo

    Odion Ighalo is yet to hear from Manchester United about a permanent deal.

    The Nigerian striker is on-loan at United from Shanghai Shenhua.

    Ighalo, a boyhood United fan, says that God will direct him over his future.

    He told Elegbete TV: “There is no offer on the table yet.

    “Because the season is still on and I’m yet to finish my loan deal. I don’t just take decisions alone in my life. I have a principle and I have a guideline for everything I do. I always pray to God to direct me.

    “I have seen so many tweets about this. I have seen so many people going crazy, (saying) ‘go back to China’, some say stay with Man United.

    “Have you seen me say a word? I don’t have anything to say. When the season’s finished and I get two offers from the two teams, then I will sit and think about it, pray about it and whatever God says I should do, I will go with that.”

    Ighalo’s current contract at Shanghai Shenhua is set to run until the end of December 2021.