Manchester United loanee, Odion Ighalo has revealed that he is interested in a move to a Major League Soccer club but hoped that his contract with United would be extended beyond January 2021.
Odion Ighalo has been at Manchester United since January 2020 on loan from Chinese Superleague side, Shanghai Shenhua. He is expected to return to the Chinese club at the end of this month to see out his contract with the club if United don’t offer him a contract extension.
But the 31-year-old Nigerian striker who is never shy to tell the world how a dream come true it was for him to join Manchester United, won’t mind having the opportunity to remain at United despite being a regular feature on the bench.
Despite not being injured, Odion Ighalo who was brought in to cover up for Marcus Rashford when he was out with an injury in January 2020, has only managed to make one Premier League appearance this season. That is, he has played only 9 minutes of football so far in the league.
On the other hand, he has made a total of 4 appearances in all competitions, without scoring or providing an assist in those games. This means that the former Nigeria international has not scored a goal for Manchester United in 157 minutes of football.
Before things got this bad for Ighalo at Manchester United, he scored 5 goals in 15 appearances in all competitions last season. His performance inspired United to extend his stay from June to January 2021.
But since he entered into the second phase of his loan spell at United, the club’s coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made insignificant use of him. Odion Ighalo’s situation got worsen when the club signed veteran striker Edison Cavani in addition to an in-form Rashford.
Recently, United’s coach cleared all doubts about Ighalo’s contract with the club by saying that the Nigerian striker would leave the club at the end of January. Hence, Ighalo is already contemplating his next move.
“Today, I’m in Manchester but at the end of the month, I don’t know where I’m going to be,” Ighalo told ESPN. “If it’s possible I’d like to stay here but if not I have to go.
“I have options. I wait for my agent. He is doing his job and I’m doing mine. At the end of the month, we have to decide what is best and we’ll take it. If it’s possible I’d like to play in MLS but I have to wait to see if it’s possible.
“The league is doing well and if the opportunity arises then I’d grab it with two hands.”
On how he has been handling his lack of game time at the club, Odion Ighalo said: “I’m a professional, I don’t make trouble and I don’t complain. I just go to training and give my best.
“Lately I haven’t been playing much but it’s the coach’s decision. If I’m not in the team and give them 100% support. The team is doing well and that’s the most important thing.”
We Don't Stop When We Are Tired, We Stop When We Are Done 😍 The Grind Continues 🥰 #ighalo #mufc #ggmu 💪🏾 pic.twitter.com/CmZBuPQ6Pa
— Jude Ighalo Fans (@judeighalofans) December 21, 2020
