ODION IGHALO will reportedly have to take a £200,ooo-a-week pay cut if he wants to join Manchester United permanently from Shanghai Shenhua.
The Nigerian striker sealed a shock loan move from the Chinese Super League side in the winter transfer window and scored four goals in eight games before the season was suspended over the coronaries pandemic.
Odion Ighalo will reportedly have to take a £200k-a-week pay cut if he wants to join Manchester United permanently from Shanghai ShenhuaCredit: Getty
Ighalo was forced to take a 40 per cent pay cut on his mega £300,000-a-week contract to join United on loan this season, putting him on £180,000.
But according to the Daily Star, the 30-year-old would have to cut his wages further to £100,000-a-week in order to make his Old Trafford switch permanent.
Ighalo was a last-gasp signing in the January sales, as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperately searched for back-up going forward.
His loan expires on May 31 but United should be able to keep him until whenever this season is completed after Fifa reviewed the rule on loan signings amid the pandemic.
But Solskjaer admitted last month the childhood United fan could get the chance to extend his United dream should he continue to impress during his trial run.
He said: “It doesn’t hurt [living the dream] but he’s here on merit, he’s here because he is a goalscorer and a different type of striker for us.
“We might get to the summer and think we want to extend this, who knows? He’s come in as a breath of fresh air as well. He had chances in his five minutes against Chelsea, he scored against Brugge.
“He had chances against Watford, he had a very good save against Everton – there have been good saves, he doesn’t miss the target very often.
“Even for Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford to learn that it is where the sharks are swimming.
“It is comfortable outside the box and you can have a few shots. It’s in there where it might be a bit tougher and you might get hurt – that’s where you get goals.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
