Manchester United fans sad over Ighalo transfer update

Manchester United fans will be sad if Odion Ighalo leaves the club this summer.

MEN Sport understands the 30-year-old is set to leave Old Trafford this week, with parent club Shanghai Shenhua keen to have the striker back ahead of the start of the Chinese Super League season.

Whilst supporters were split on Ighalo’s loan signing in January, the back-up striker has proved a hit for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, scoring four goals in eight appearances, with Marcus Rashford out of the side through injury.

However, Ighalo’s loan deal was only penned until May 31, which would have been sufficient to cover Manchester United until the end of the season in ordinary circumstances.

However, the postponement of the 2019/20 campaign as a result of the coronavirus pandemic means Ighalo is set to depart with United’s season yet to be completed, with the Chinese authorities hopeful of restarting their domestic league at a similar time to the Premier League.

While United are boosted by Rashford’s return for the final games of the season, losing Ighalo is a blow, especially with a hectic fixture schedule likely when the season resumes.

Ideally, United would have wanted to keep Ighalo but relaxed about the prospect of losing him as a result of Rashford’s return to fitness.

Rashford aggravated a back problem during United’s FA Cup win over Wolves in January and he played no part in United’s 11-match unbeaten run before the season was halted.

read also: Ighalo deserves Man United permanent deal – Hargreaves

Solskjaer recently confirmed he has a fully fit squad to work with ahead of the season’s resumption.