Neville: Ighalo Deal Shows Poor Manchester United Transfer Plans

Gary Neville believes Manchester United’s last-minute loan deal for Odion Ighalo underlines their poor planning in the transfer market.

Former Watford striker Ighalo, who has spent the last three years playing in China, is heading to Old Trafford on a short-term contract until the end of the season after United reached an agreement with Shanghai Shenhua on Deadline Day.

The 30-year-old will provide cover for the injured Marcus Rashford, but Neville is puzzled as to why his former club did not have long-term targets lined up following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez.

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“They just needed a body in that area,” he said ahead of Manchester United’s meeting with Wolves. “Rashford’s going to be out for another couple of months,” Neville told Skysports.

“I can’t let the club off the hook though, unfortunately. Romelu Lukaku told us a couple of weeks ago that he had said he was going to leave last February or March.

“That’s nine months to be able to manoeuvre and get into a position to sign a striker for the club for the long-term. And yet they have ended up desperately doing one on Deadline Day.

“The boy may do very well. He might come in and settle in, he might score goals and do a job for the club.

“But the fact that the club were in that position, knowing that Sanchez and Lukaku were leaving for many, many months, tells us that Manchester United, at this moment in time, are struggling to navigate through the transfer market smartly.”

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