Odion Ighalo Reveals Desire to Make Manchester United Loan Move Permanent in Heartwarming Q&A

04 April 2020 10:06

Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo has revealed that he wants to stay at Old Trafford beyond the end of his temporary deal in an impromptu Q&A on Twitter, despite a bumper offer from parent club Shanghai Shenhua.

United were accused of making a last-minute panic buy when they brought in Ighalo from the CSL club in the final hours of the January transfer window. And it was true, in fairness, as the Red Devils frantically searched for any forward to provide some much-needed cover up front due to the mounting injury problems in that department. 

After a bizarre attempt to sign Bournemouth's Josh King fell through, attention turned towards Ighalo. And when the deal was finally announced, it was a move that was ridiculed. It was all down to United's poor planning.

Odion Ighalo

But less than three months later, having bagged four goals in his first three starts for the club he grew up supporting, there have already been ​cries for the Red Devils to sign him permanently - and rightly so. It was recently reported that as a result of his on-field performances as well as his attitude off the field, United were already looking to make his the deal official for around £15m.


However, news soon emerged that parent club ​Shanghai Shenhua had offered Ighalo a two-year extension to his current deal worth an astounding £400,000 per week, before tax. All in all, the deal would be worth in excess of £80m over the next four years. 


That's a lot of money. 


At 30-years-old, Ighalo is reaching the latter stages of his career, and while some players would look to take up such an offer, this seemingly isn't the case with Ighalo. He took to his official ​Twitter account on Friday evening to post a message that will resonate with many during football's enforced hiatus. 

"I'm officially bored. I miss football," he wrote.

Fans of the Nigerian began to comment and ask questions, with Ighalo taking the time to reply, and he has once again reiterated his desire to make his stay at the club permanent. One user asked whether he will be signing for United permanently, and the forward simply replied with a 'fingers crossed' emoji. 

Meanwhile, another user was keen to ask if he would sign for the Old Trafford side if he was offered the chance. This time, Ighalo needed just two words to reassure fans of his commitment to his club, simply writing: "Of course."

And if his love for Man Utd wasn't evident enough, when a user asked what he loves most about the club, the former Watford man replied: "Everything."

Ighalo indirectly discussed the huge offer on the table from China, too. When a user claimed that it was better for Ighalo to be bored rather than broke, he claimed that 'all isn't about money'.

As for his favourite goal of his entire career, well, he believes it would have to be the stunner he recently scored against LASK in the Europa League. 

Ighalo is living his dream, and yes he may have been offered a simply outrageous contract extension by Shanghai Shenhua, but it appears as though he has his heart firmly set on a permanent move to United if given the chance. 

Source: 90min