The Nigerian forward is clearly not in the plans of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer anymore, with the player not even considered off the bench of late for Manchester United.
As his extended loan deal draws to its end next January, Odion Ighalo has found minutes hard to come by, and a return to the parent club, Shanghai Shenhua is on the cards for him.
The 31-year old enjoyed a rich vein of form in the early period of the six-month loan deal he signed upon joining the Red Devils in January this year, the highlight of which was the sublime half volley goal he scored against LASK in the Europa League which was awarded Manchester United’s goal of the month for March.
In total, Ighalo scored 5 goals from 5 starts in 18 appearances for the Red Devils in the second half of last season which prompted the club to extend his stay for another six months.
From then on, things haven’t panned out as Ighalo would’ve hoped. The arrival of Cavani on a free transfer in October added competition for places in United’s attack and Ighalo has fallen further down the pecking order in Manchester.
So far this season he has been on the pitch for a total of 157 minutes from three games. Two of the games coming from the EFL cup and his last appearance dates back to September where he was a late sub against Brighton in the Premier League.
Unless drastic changes occur, which is highly unlikely from the look of things, it appears clear that the 2019 AFCON golden boot winner has played his last game for the English giants. A return to the Chinese League with Shanghai Shenhua in the new year is most likely for Ighalo.
