Nigerian footballer, Odion Ighalo who made a historic loan move from China to English club side, Manchester United few days ago, will not travel to Spain for Manchester United’s winter training camp.
Ighalo who is currently in Manchester, will stay in England “on a personal training and fitness programme”. The English football club said “it is simply a precautionary measure as the situation continues to be monitored”.
The club’s manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also said; “Odion will stay in Manchester, because he arrived from China in the last 14 days.
“Because of the situation in China, we’re not sure if he’d be allowed back into England if he leaves the country again.
“So he’s staying here working with a personal coach, individual programme and his family then can settle in England as well. That’s a plus.
“Of course he might have liked to have come with the players and got to know them, but the risk [of potential border restrictions tightening], we don’t want to take that.”
In another news, controversial football pundit and Arsenal hero , Paul Merson, who doubts whether Odion Ighalo has the ability to shine at Old Trafford, fears that coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could be sacked by Manchester United if the Nigerian international fails to impress.
The former England footballer/manager also said executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward could face the axe with the pressure on the two Red Devils bosses after a horrible campaign.
Writing in his column for the Daily Star, Merson said: “Odion Ighalo could be the final straw at Manchester United.
“If that signing is a disaster then Ed Woodward and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are in big trouble.
“Don’t get me wrong. He could rediscover the form he once he had at Watford and be a huge success. But he could be the biggest laughing stock the Premier League has ever seen.
“Only time will tell. But remember, the last time he was here he only scored once in 18 games before Watford sold him and he’ll have gotten lazy playing in China.”
He added: “I’ve heard people compare it with Henrik Larsson because nobody expected him to still be any good when United signed him either.
“But Larsson had been world-class. He had scored goals in major tournaments and won big trophies. And he still had his finishing and his movement.
“Ighalo doesn’t have any of that on his CV and he’s coming into a struggling team. The biggest one he’s ever played for.
“It’s a big risk, and if it all goes horribly wrong it will just pile more pressure on the manager because you’re always judged on your signings as well as your results.
Ighalo scored 36 goals in 90 League games for Watford before going to China.
