Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is delighted to have signed Odion Ighalo on a short-term deal from Chinese team Shanghai Shenhua and believes he will bring a different threat to Manchester United.
The Red Devils manager had been eager to bring in a new striker after Rashford sustained an injury, with United short on attacking options having let Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez leave last summer window.
After links with players like Edinson Cavani and Krzysztof Piatek, United made a last-minute move for Ighalo and signed him just before Friday’s deadline.
Ighalo – who was a supporter of United as a child – is in China and will fly to Manchester in the coming days, with the Red devils paying around £4m for the loan which does not include the option to buy.
Solskjaer had made no secret of his desire to sign another forward before the transfer window deadline and says Ighalo has the tools to make a huge impact at the club.
‘Odion is an experienced player. He will come in and give us an option of a different type of centre-forward for the short spell he’s staying with us,’ explained the United boss.
‘A great lad and very professional, he will make the most of his time here.’
Ighalo enjoyed his time in England with Watford, scoring 33 goals in 82 matches before moving to China.
He had offers from other teams, with Inter Milan and Tottenham both making contact over a loan move, but he has family in Manchester and has supported the team since he was a kid.
Ighalo revealed in 2016: ‘They were my team growing up. ‘I loved watching Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke on TV. They were my idols and playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream.’
