Odion Ighalo has insisted that he told his agent that he only wanted to join Manchester United, despite other teams wanting to do a deal.

Manchester United shocked many when they decided to sign the former Watford striker on loan until the end of the season from Chinese outfit Shanghai Shenhua on transfer deadline day.  

 



Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted to sign a striker for the second half of the season and the club took a gamble on the former Watford man for the rest of the campaign.

Ighalo admits that deadline day was exciting as it was very late when he came to know about Manchester United’s interest and was made aware that he would have to take a pay-cut to join the Premier League club.
 


Tottenham were also believed to be interested in the striker, but the 30-year-old claimed that he made it clear to his agent and Shanghai Shenhua that he only wanted the deal with Manchester United.



He admits that it was a brilliant moment for him and his family after the deal was confirmed.

Ighalo told Manchester United's official website: “Yeah, it was very dramatic. My agent called me the day before and said Man United. I would love to go.
 

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“A few other clubs had shown interest, I said please, just pick United, if it’s going to be possible. At 11 pm in Shanghai, my agent called me [to say] that United want to do the deal, so I woke up that night and started looking for a translator to go to the directors' room and hit his door and all that.

“My agent wants to speak to you, United are coming for me, you have to make this happen and all that you know. So they started talking and discussing. I didn’t sleep throughout that night, because it was going to end at 7 am, Shanghai time, and the transfer [window] is going to close there.

“So, from 11 pm, there was paperwork, negotiating and all that, for the loan deal and all that, so we are talking and other teams are calling them, wanting me, but I told my agent that this is what I want. I want to come here. He said you’re going to get a pay-cut to go to United. I said I don’t care. Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don’t care how much is the pay-cut, I know that, make it happen.

“So the director and everybody didn’t know what to say anymore, because I had already made up my mind, so my agent started putting it in order, and, at 5 am, we finished. My agent said he’d forwarded all the papers to United, they will confirm for me if everything is okay.

“I think, around 5 am-6 am, he said everything is okay, it’s done. I was excited. I called my mum and she was happy, crying and all that. This is your dream and all that and I’m happy for you.

“It was dramatic, I didn’t sleep through, I was very happy that finally, we got the deal done.”

Solskjaer will hope that Ighalo will make an impact in the second half of the season and help Manchester United to finish in the top four.