Former Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo said he is open to signing for Manchester United on a permanent basis after his loan deal expires.

Ighalo, 30, had scored four goals in eight games since arriving from Shanghai Shenhua in January and the United Manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer suggested he would be keen on keeping the striker beyond the end of the season.

United did not add an option to buy in the terms of Ighalo’s loan contract, which ends on May 31, and he would be under no legal obligation to stay beyond its expiration. The English football season is expected to stage fixtures in June and July, should it resume.

Ighalo’s contract with Shanghai Shenhua expires next year and the Chinese Super League side had offered the Nigerian international an improved £400,000-a-week deal, but Ighalo is receptive to staying in Manchester.

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“I’m on loan until the end of the season, which has not expired,” he told Juliet Bawuah. “Now it’s for us to finish the season very well, I do well, score more goals, if possible, then after the season we’ll see what’s on the table.

“But, for now, the season is still on. Even for me, as a person, you can’t start talking about the contract when you don’t know when the season is going to resume. So there’s no need to talk about that, it’s just finished the season and then see how it goes.

“Of course, I’m enjoying my time there, so if something comes up, why not? We’ll see it, study it – if it’s what’s good for me – and, of course, my agent decides this.

“I’ve been there, I’ve been around the club for a few months, everything is working perfectly well for me. Not just well for me, but the team is doing so well, fantastic. Why not? Let’s see how it goes.“I have seen so many tweets about this. I have seen so many people going crazy, saying ‘go back to China’, some say stay with Man United.”