Man Utd hand loan signing Ighalo No.25 shirt

Odion Ighalo has been given the No.25 shirt at Manchester United following his January loan move from Shanghai Shenhua.

The club have confirmed on their official website that the Nigerian striker will wear the jersey that has been vacant since Antonio Valencia left Old Trafford last summer.

Ighalo joined United on a sixth-month loan deal last Friday, with no option to buy included in the final agreement.

He will offer Ole Gunnar Solskjaer an alternative option in attack as they aim to qualify for the Champions League, while also making a contribution in the Europa League and FA Cup.

The Red Devils were determined to bring in an extra centre-forward in the winter market after seeing Marcus Rashford sidelined for three months with a back injury.

The likes of Edinson Cavani, Erling Haaland and Timo Werner were all linked with moves to Old Trafford, while the club reportedly launched a deadline-day bid for Bournemouth striker Josh King, which was rejected.

United turned their attention to Ighalo thereafter and managed to push a deal over the line before the winter transfer window slammed shut.

The 30-year-old described the move as a "dream come true" after touching down in Manchester on Sunday, with his debut likely to come in a meeting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on February 17.

Ighalo has spent the last three years of his career in China, hitting 36 goals for Changchun Yatai before joining Shanghai Shenhua and scoring 10 in 17 appearances.

The experienced frontman played for Watford between 2014 and 2017, scoring 39 goals in 99 matches across all competitions - including 16 in the Premier League.

Solskjaer expects Ighalo to add a different dimension to his side in attack, with Anthony Martial currently struggling for form and Mason Greenwood still a very raw talent at the age of 18.

“He is a different type of striker and he is a proven goalscorer,” the United boss told reporters at the weekend. “He has a physical presence. Also, he gives us a chance to rest Mason and Anthony.

“We have so many games to come. We want to go far in the Europa League and FA Cup and we have league games to go so it was important we had another type of striker to use.”