Manchester United boss hints at permanent move for Ighalo

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not ruled out making Odion Ighalo's loan switch permanent at the end of the season.

Ighalo completed a shock six-month loan deal to United from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua on the final day of the January transfer window.

After missing out on Erling Haaland to Borussia Dortmund, United embarked on a frantic search for a new striker and ended up signing former Watford striker Ighalo.

United did not negotiate in a clause to sign Ighalo on a full-time basis with Shanghai Shenhua but Solskjaer has revealed the striker could have a long-term future at Old Trafford.

"It's a loan, but when you're in the door, and if you impress, it gives you a chance," the London Evening Standard quote Solskjaer as saying. "That's exactly the same for everyone who signs. If it's permanent, or if it's a loan.

"If you impress as a player, if you impress as a person, if you can help this group improve, of course there's a chance we'll look at extending things and signing. That doesn't just go for Odion. His incentive is to play as well as he can and if it's up to us to make sure he wants to stay, if we want him.

"He's a loan player that we're very happy with having here. Hopefully he'll prove to you what I think he will. He's a proven goal-scorer so he'll do alright."

Ighalo was only able to train with his United team-mates for the first time on Sunday after being given the all-clear from the Coronavirus.

The former Nigeria international has travelled with the United squad for Monday's league match with top four rivals Chelsea and is in line to start for the away side.

Ighalo scored 46 goals in 76 league appearances in China across spells at Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Shenhua.

The 30-year-old scored 15 goals in 37 league appearances during his first season at Watford but managed just one goal in 18 appearances in his second campaign before moving to China.