Who will be Odion Ighalo's 'new Troy Deeney' at Manchester United?

Ighalo thrived with Deeney at Watford
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Tom Doyle5 February 2020

When Manchester United were on the hunt for a new forward late in the January transfer window, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer laid out the profile of player he needed.

"We need more goal-scorers, more goals, someone who wants to break their nose or toe," the United manager said.

"They don’t have to be nice ones."

The Nigeria international emerged as a surprise target for United, though in truth he was far from the first option for Solskjaer.

United missed out on number one target Erling Braut Haaland to Borussia Dortmund before the winter window even opened, sending Solskjaer's plans up in smoke.

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With PSG outcast Edinson Cavani also preferring to wait for a move to Atletico Madrid, United were short of options - and Marcus Rashford's long-term injury left them in a desperate situation.

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Solskjaer insisted he was not willing to sign players for a short-term gain who did not fit the ethos of his squad rebuild, but Ighalo - though a surprise arrival from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua - ticks a number of boxes.

The striker has previous Premier League experience with Watford, and as a 30-year-old forward who was a childhood fan of United, is unlikely to rock the boat if he is not an automatic starter.

Ighalo has predominantly been brought in as cover for the front line - but with Rashford injured, Anthony Martial flattering to deceive in his absence, and Mason Greenwood still adapting to the rigours of elite level football, the Super Eagles international may be thrust into action as soon as possible.

So, how will Ighalo adapt to life at Old Trafford? Bruno Fernandes was brought in for an initial £46.5million in January, and the likes of Ighalo and Martial will surely benefit from having a genuine playmaker behind them.

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However, Standard Sport's Simon Collings - who saw Ighalo during his time at Watford - sees one potential problem for United... they don't have Troy Deeney.

"The interesting thing to see with Ighalo is how he fits into Manchester United’s system.

"Fans will note his exceptional season with Watford during the 2015/16 campaign, but it cannot be overlooked how a lot of the Nigerian’s fine form was down to Troy Deeney.

"Ighalo sparked up a brilliant partnership with Deeney and together they scored 28 of Watford’s 40 League goals in the 2015/16 season.

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"Often it was Ighalo who grabbed the headlines, but in reality they came as a pair.

"The question is can Ighalo find a ‘new Deeney’ at Manchester United?"

United academy graduate Craig Cathcart played with Ighalo at Watford, and is of a similar view.

"He can adapt. He’s got good link-up play if you do play with two strikers, and he can also hold the ball up if you want to go with the one striker.

"He can run the channels as well, because he’s got good pace and good strength and he’s always a threat in the box."

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So it may well turn out that United needed not just one, but two strikers in January.

Another issue could be his fitness. The forward is by no means over the hill at 30, but Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores believes it could take a month for the forward to get back up to speed after playing in the Chinese Super League.

"Mainly, the problem is how they train in China," said Flores. "It is not the same as in England.

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"Is he really ready for first-team matches in the Premier League because the physical difference is so big? He probably needs one month to recover the full rhythm.

"The good thing is he knows his body well, works hard on injury prevention and he is always working after training.

"I should say, also, that I felt in China, he gave exactly the same effort and quality as he gave me four years ago. We had the feeling in China that he could recover a high level with any team in Europe."

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