Manchester United striker Odion Jude Ighalo has said the club will become successful when Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba start playing together.
Since his move from Sporting CP in January, Fernandes has been unable to feature alongside Pogba who has been out of action since December after suffering metatarsal and ankle injuries.
Fernandes has scored three goals and provided three assists in eight appearances but Ighalo said United will improve even more when Pogba, who said he is closing in on a comeback, returns.
“He is working hard to get back to fitness and imagine when we have Pogba and Bruno in the midfield, then you will see a different team — [Marcus] Rashford coming back also,” Ighalo told journalist Juliet Bawuah in an interview on Twitter.
“Manchester United is going to be great again, winning games week in, week out. He’s [Pogba] a great player and it’s going to be a privilege to play with him. “Bruno is a fantastic player. I played with him in 2013-14 at Udinese. We’ve not seen the best of him yet in the Premier League.
“Once Bruno Fernandes settles down in England you will see what that guy can do. He has vision, he wants the ball always. He can shoot, he can score goals, he is very intelligent. “Before the ball comes, he is a step ahead to know what he wants to do. In times to come, you are going to see what he can do in the Premier League, even better than what he is doing now.” Ighalo has also impressed since moving to Old Trafford on loan in January from Shanghai Shenhua, scoring four goals in eight appearances.
Sources have told ESPN that United want to negotiate Ighalo’s deal but the Nigeria international has said he is unsure about his future at the club.
“You know I have a loan deal until the end of the season,” he added. “Now it is for us to finish the season well, for me to do well and score goals.
“But even me as a person cannot start talking about a contract when you don’t know when you’re going to resume.
“I’ve been around the club for a few months and everything is working perfectly well for me and the team is going fantastically. We’ll see how it goes.”
…Sule doubts striker’s long stay with Man United
Nigeria legend Abdul Sule has expressed concerns that Manchester United may not be keen to sign Odion Ighalo on a permanent deal, fearing that the 30-year-old could slip down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
The Premier League side has the option of signing the striker in the summer, with Ighalo eager to stay at his boyhood club on a permanent basis.
But Sule, who enjoyed spells at clubs across Europe and the Middle East, has warned that United may not look to sign Ighalo on a permanent deal, with Marcus Rashford returning from injury.
“I see Odion Ighalo earning a big-money move from top European teams when his loan expires at Manchester United,” he told goal.com. “I don’t think Man United are keen on retaining him because they seem not to value him enough to hand him a regular place. He also may not be wanted again when Marcus Rashford is fit.”
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