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Man Utd complete Odion Ighalo transfer after frantic striker search on deadline day
Manchester United have completed a deal to sign Odion Ighalo.
Man Utd targeting Josh King is 'a late bid' says expert
Manchester United sealed a six-month loan deal for Shanghai Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo before the transfer deadline. United have been after a striker for much of the January window, and now they have their man.
The deal took a lot of time, and United surprisingly left it until the last day of the window, but Ighalo will fly to the UK this weekend after completing a move tonight.
United needed a striker before Marcus Rashford got injured, having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku in the summer.
Lukaku was United’s top scorer last season and, while Rashford has stepped up in his absence, they’ve still lost goals.
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And so when it was revealed that Rashford would be out of action until March with a back injury, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s search become a little more desperate.
United had already searched for a plethora of other options, including PSG’s Edinson Cavani and Lyon’s Moussa Dembele.
Both players decided to stay with their clubs while Napoli man Dries Mertens and Chinese Super League striker Salomon Rondon were also thought of.
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Then Bournemouth’s Josh King became a viable option, but they failed to secure a replacement for their Norwegian striker.
And then came Ighalo, who will be paid £100,000-a-week as part of his new six-month pay package with United.
The Red Devils will also pay an initial £3m in loan fees, with United’s chiefs hopeful that Ighalo can help share the goal-load with Rashford when he returns.
Solskjaer’s agent Jim Solbakken has a fruitful relationship with Ighalo’s agent Atta Aneke and a deal was easy to do from there.
United are yet to confirm the deal but they are expected to do so later this evening or early tomorrow morning with Ighalo yet to arrive in the UK.
He won't make his debut on Saturday at home to Wolves but he could star against Chelsea on Monday, February 17.
The winter break will come after the Wolves game, giving United time to bed Ighalo into their team before kicking on for the rest of the season.
Shanghai Shenhua have not yet released a statement either, but the Chinese Super League is currently suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak in China.
United are expected to launch a fresh search for a lethal striker in the summer, while they've also been linked with Aston Villa's Jack Grealish and Leicester's James Maddison.
Solskjaer is under pressure at United to finish in the Champions League spots with the Red Devils, but they've given themselves a slightly better chance now, after signing Ighalo.