Odion Ighalo’s signing for Manchester United was a whirlwind transfer, to say the least. It happened extremely quickly on deadline day – necessary in order to have all necessary paperwork submitted before the window closed. It was so rushed, in fact, that Ighalo never even completed a medical before putting pen to paper on his 6-month contract at United. Pursued by Manchester United after a permanent deal for Bournemouth’s Josh King fell through, Ighalo was apparently second on Solskjaer’s wanted list for a short-term striker, ahead of Islam Slimani.
Despite the nature of the deal, Ighalo has fit into life as a United player seamlessly. The Nigerian striker has recorded 4 goals and 1 assist in 8 games at United – very solid numbers for a backup striker. His delight at performing for the club he supported since he was young is clear for all to see. There isn’t a moment where Ighalo isn’t seeing grinning from ear to ear, and while that is lovely for supporters to see, it is of no surprise to his agent, Patrick Bastianelli, as he believes that “he [Ighalo] always has a positive attitude.”
In a recent interview, Bastianelli told Tuttosport, relayed by Sport Witness, that “Odion is reaping what he deserves after many sacrifices… Manchester [United] is a prize for everything he’s [Ighalo] shown in recent years.”
On his first goal for United, his agent said said “It was also exciting for us to see his reaction, the happiness in his eyes. Couldn’t believe it…”
After having to endure constant, and hardly veiled, jibes from players like Angel Di Maria, Ighalo’s perpetual happiness is a sight to behold for Manchester United supporters. While many had their doubts about Ighalo, Solskjaer likely had none when the signing to bring Ighalo from Shanghai to Manchester was completed. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said time and time again, “we are going somewhere”, and Bastianelli believes that “Odion is a person who always looks ahead, always in a positive way.” It looks like Ighalo has eyes set on that promise land, focussed on playing his part in getting Manchester United there.
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