Manchester United could face fresh competition to keep on-loan striker Odion Ighalo with Newcastle thought to be keen on making a move if their Saudi Arabian takeover goes through.
The 30-year-old was a surprise January signing by United, but he has been somewhat of a success for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after scoring four goals in three starts for the Red Devils.
The former Watford striker is on loan from Shanghai Shenhua but his loan deal expires at the end of May, and Solskjaer is keen to try and extend that to cover for the remainder of the Premier League season - if it is indeed to be concluded in June.
With the Chinese Super League set to begin in July, Shanghai Shenhua will only allow Ighalo to remain at Old Trafford if United sign him on a permanent deal, with £20m the minimum transfer fee.
Honestly Odion Ighalo that is just rude 😍 pic.twitter.com/3BiE4fTXVM
— 🇩🇪 Ja! Watch the Bundesliga live on BT Sport🇩🇪 (@btsportfootball) March 12, 2020
The Nigerian's current deal in Shanghai runs until 2022 and although he's keen to stay at Old Trafford, he's recently stated that no offer has been made yet to him or his club.
Ighalo has also been offered a new two-year deal by Shanghai, but he could seemingly have a third option in moving to St James' Park if the proposed takeover goes through.
The new owners are already reportedly drawing up their preferred options for both a new manager and new signings, and in Ighalo they see a relatively inexpensive option that could be an instant success.
Confusion continues to surround any resumption of the Premier League, but the billions in funds that Newcastle's proposed new owners have in the bank dwarfs even Man Utd's riches, meaning that if a bidding war did break out they could easily go toe-to-toe.
Follow Sporting Life on social - find us on Facebook here or tweet @SportingLifeFC
Related Bundesliga content
- Inside the Bundesliga title race
- Bundesliga scouting report
- Bundesliga Team of the Season
- Quiz: Guess the Bundesliga kits
- Five predictions for the remainder of the season
- Nine key Bundesliga fixtures
- Bundesliga: 5 Brits who made a mark
- In Profile: What has happened to Philippe Coutinho?
- In Profile: Enjoying the Sancho ride
- In Profile: Just how good is Erling Haaland?
Responsible gambling
We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
Sky Bet's responsible gambling tools are detailed here and if you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.
Further support and information can be found at GamCare and gamblingtherapy.org.
