Sport  |  Football  

Ighalo took pay cut to sign for ‘dream club’ Man Utd

By AFP |   05 February 2020   |   2:34 pm  

Odion Ighalo Photo: Twitter / Man Utd

Lifelong Manchester United fan Odion Ighalo said he had no hesitation in taking a pay cut to complete his dream deadline-day switch to Old Trafford, enduring a sleepless night as the deal was hammered out.

United were already short in attack following the summer departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku and a back injury sustained by Marcus Rashford, making a reinforcement during the January transfer window of crucial importance to the Old Trafford club.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looked at a variety of options and eventually completed a late loan deal for ex-Watford striker Ighalo, who has joined until the end of the season from Shanghai Shenhua.

“I’m very happy,” the Nigeria forward told United’s website. “First, I want say thank God for making this happen and it’s just like a dream come true for me.

“People that know me, even back in Nigeria, and even when I was playing at Watford, my team-mates knew that I loved Man United, I support them. When I played against Man U, that emotion is there, because it is my dream.

“It is a nice reality, so I’m very happy and I’m looking forward to starting.”

Ighalo, 30, followed Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes into Old Trafford, with the forward calling his last-minute move “very dramatic”, having been informed by his agent the day before of United’s interest.

In this article:

You may also like

17 hours ago
The Vice President, Visa West Africa, Andrew Uaboi, has explained why his firm chose Nigerian track and field athletes, Tobi Amusan and Goodness Nwachukwu, as part of its diverse roster of Team Visa athletes ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
17 hours ago
Despite Super Eagles’ 0-2 loss to the Eagles of Mali on Tuesday night, Coach Finidi George said that the Nigerians were the better team.
12 hours ago
Defender Kenneth Omeruo has assured that the Super Eagles’ players are determined to give their all for maximum points when the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers resume in June.