Odion Ighalo deserves a permanent deal at Manchester United because he has brought his “physical presence” to the side, club legend, Rio Ferdinand, has said.
Ighalo, 30, joined Manchester United in a surprise move at the close of the January 2020 transfer window from Chinese Super League outfit, Shanghai Shenhua.
The Nigerian was signed on a six-month loan deal as a cover for injured Englishman, Marcus Rashford.
Since he joined the Old Trafford outfit and having played eight times, the former Watford striker has scored four goals and bagged one assist.
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There have been calls for United’s management to hand the Lagos-born forward a permanent deal with boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, muting the idea.
And Ferdinand, who played for United between 2002 and 2014, has joined the call for a permanent deal for the former Granada man.
In a question and answer session on his YouTube channel, Tuesday, the former England defender, said the 30-year-old striker has the physical ability that was lacking in the Red Devils.
While Ighalo may not have turned Man United into world-beaters, his ball-holding ability makes him an asset to the team, Ferdinand explained.
“It’s shocked me to see what he’s done,” the former defender said. “Listen, we’re not talking like he’s turned Man United into world-beaters, but United needed something, and he’s brought it in and given it, and that’s all you can ask for.”
According to him, if Ighalo plays alongside Rashford and Anthony Martial, his experience will help the duo become better in the long run.
He argued that “he’s warranted the opportunity to come in as a full-time player and what he’s given Manchester United which they didn’t have is someone they can pass the ball into and can hold it up, he’s got a physical presence, he can hold off a defender or two and lay the ball in for someone else to score.”