Premier League Rumors: Ighalo Allowed To Stay With Manchester United Until January

It appears Odion Ighalo's stint with Manchester United will resume. After initial reports claimed that the Nigerian was likely done playing at Old Trafford, it appears negotiations are running smoothly. According to the 30-year-old striker's agent, they are very close to an agreement with Manchester United.

Ighalo's loan deal will expire on May 31 and the Red Devils have been holding talks for a possible extension with Shanghai Shenhua. Before this, the Chinese club was left with the impression that Ighalo would be permanently moving to Old Trafford. But budget constraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic altered those plans. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer bared in a previous post that talks were underway and it appears that a new deal could be struck before the end of the month.

"We’re in dialogue. They’ve been great towards us, his club, and allowed him to play for his dream club," Solskjaer said.

According to a recent report, it appears Shenhua will allow Ighalo to play for United until January. Originally, the Chinese team was only open to extending the load if there was an option to buy included in the clause. Sky Sports reported that this could cost somewhere around $24 million. Shanghai Shenhua will likely expect Ighalo to sign a new deal, one of the conditions that would allow him to stay at Old Trafford.

Related to that, seeing Ighalo return to China now could be difficult. There are border restrictions in place. This may prevent the Nigerian to return in time for the start of the season in June. That in mind, the Chinese team will bring in a temporary replacement instead of the 30-year-old striker.

With only minor things left to iron out, Ighalo's dream of playing on for United continues. However, there are also questions on how well he would fit in following reports of Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba returning. His playing time could diminish if the two come back in full capacity. Ighalo could use this as motivation instead if he wants to stay longer. It remains that he needs to leave a good impression, at least until January. He proved he was a great addition when the stars were injured. But now he has to prove he can co-exist with the regular stars on the field.