Nigeria international Odion Ighalo has revealed what he can bring to the table after his deadline day move to Manchester United. The Red Devils were linked with a number of high-profile strikers during the closing stages of the January transfer window but they eventually sealed the surprise loan signing of Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Ighalo said that the Red Devils have quality strikers in the squad but they don’t have someone who can provide the physical presence from the centre-forward role. He added that he can provide that aspect of the game by playing as the traditional striker, who can hold-up play and link up with his teammates.
“They have a striker that stays mostly in the middle, but Martial likes to come from the side, even Rashford and all that, so you need someone in the middle that can keep the ball, hold the ball, because I’ve watched so many United games. So they need a physicality there up front to keep the ball, to give and to make some movement, which I believe, if everything goes well, I can add to the team,” he told.
The Red Devils return from the winter break with an away Premier League game at Chelsea. They have already beaten the Blues in the Premier League and League Cup this season and the latter of those matches was at Stamford Bridge. Still, they won’t be able to bank on the services of Marcus Rashford, who was the standout performer with two goals in each of those games.
Rashford is expected to be out of action until mid-March as the least with a stress fracture but that should provide Ighalo with the chance to prove his worth to the Red Devils. The former Watford man has only joined on a temporary deal for the season but reports have claimed that Shanghai would welcome the option of negotiating a permanent transfer.