Ighalo offered £400,000-a-week deal to ward off Manchester United interest

Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua have offered Odion Ighalo an increase on his current £300,000-a-week salary to ward off interest from Manchester United, claims Sky Sports.

United signed Ighalo on a six-month loan deal at the end of January after missing out on teenage wonderkid Erling Haaland to Borussia Dortmund.

The former Nigeria international has performed beyond expectations at United and now there is talk of the Red Devils securing his services on a permanent deal worth £15M.

Ighalo's loan spell is due to expire at the end of May and United are concerned the season will overrun that date due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

However, in a fresh twist, it has now emerged Shanghai Shenhua actually want to prolong Ighalo's stay at the club and are prepared to offer the 30-year-old wages in the region of £400,000-a-week.

Ighalo has made it clear he is a boyhood United fan and was reportedly willing to take a massive wage-cut in order to move to Old Trafford on a full-time basis.

It remains to be seen whether the veteran striker will be able to turn down the eye-watering terms proposed by his parent club when regular playing time at United will be limited with everyone fit.

Ighalo has played a direct hand in five goals in three starts for United in all competitions (three goals, one assist) and has picked up the WhoScored Man of the Match award twice in that time.