Manchester United’s striker search turned desperate in the final days of the January transfer window and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was forced to scour the Chinese Super League for potential targets.
The Reds eventually secured a short-term loan deal for Shanghai Shenhua forward Odion Ighalo, a move that was as much a necessity as it was a want for Solskjaer who was bereft of attacking options.
Unsurprisingly, United were linked with dozens of forwards from all across world football as deadline day reached.
One of the players linked was former Newcastle and West Brom forward Salomon Rondon, who now plays for Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional.
According to a report in the Times, United were considering a loan deal for the player on the penultimate day of the transfer window.
Rondon has more Premier League pedigree than Ighalo, having scored 11 goals last season to help keep Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle side up.
But Solskjaer opted for the former Watford man who has come in to do a job until the end of the season.
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But Rondon believes he was close to making the Old Trafford switch last month.
“It means a lot to be linked with Manchester United because they have a great history and it must mean they think I did well in the Premier League,” the Venezuelan international told the Athletic.
“They started to talk to my agent and I was just waiting by my phone for a decision, maybe for the lawyers, but then I saw Ighalo had signed.
“It didn’t get to the stage where an offer was made or anything like that, but I think it was really close.”
Rondon, 30, would have provided a different option for Solskjaer in the sense that he was a big aerial threat.
But like Ighalo, he is not a long-term option up front and the club seriously need to address the striker issue this summer.
