Pranav Nair
Manchester United keen to loan Odion Ighalo and Islam Slimani
Manchester United are keen on signing Odion Ighalo and Islam Slimani on loan to provide cover for the injured Marcus Rashford. (h/t Sky Sports)
Ighalo plays for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League while Slimani is currently on loan at Monaco from Leicester City.
Both Ighalo and Slimani have the experience of playing in the Premier League, having done so on 55 and 39 occasions respectively.
Both players have done well for their current clubs so far. Ighalo has scored 10 goals in 19 appearances for Shanghai whereas Slimani has registered 7 goals and 7 assists in 14 appearances for Monaco.
Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also interested in Slimani (h/t Daily Star).
Ighalo has a better record out of the two in the Premier League. With the Chinese Super League likely to be indefinitely suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic gripping the nation, it remains to be seen if the player will be allowed to travel.
Low-key but effective?
The injury to Marcus Rashford has left United without a reliable striker upfront. United have played both Liverpool and Burnley since the striker’s injury and have failed to hit the net in both games.
Given the nature of the January transfer window, it makes sense for the club to pursue a loan deal for an established forward until the summer.
Ighalo and Slimani are in their 30s but both players are physically imposing and are capable of playing as a target man upfront.
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United are currently 5th in the table with 14 games left to go. We face Chelsea in the league in February, which will give us a chance to close the gap on a top-four spot.
