Manchester United will reportedly have to pay Shanghai Shenhua £15m to complete the permanent transfer of Odion Ighalo at the end of the season.
The Nigerian striker has made a fruitful start to his loan spell at his boyhood club after his surprise deadline day move.
Ighalo’s move to Old Trafford raised eyebrows across football, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew that signing a striker to provide extra attacking depth was necessary given his options following Marcus Rashford’s long-term back injury.
Ighalo has surpassed what even Solskjaer could have expected of him in such a short space of time.
And according to the Mirror, United would have to pay almost three times what Shanghai Shenhua paid Chinese second division side CC Yatai for his services last February to keep him beyond this season.
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Ighalo has netted four goals in three starts so far for the Reds, including the stunning strike against LASK in the 5-0 rout on Thursday.
But his appearances from the bench have also been impressive. Ighalo uses his experience to provide a focal point for his team and hold the ball up when United need to get a foothold in the game.
Many United fans wouldn’t be averse to signing Ighalo permanently, and £15m is not a huge fee given the spending power of the club.
But a proven striker in his prime would need to be brought in alongside Ighalo this summer to provide competition for Anthony Martial up front.
