INEOS discussing personal terms over signing Ighalo 2.0 at Man Utd
Since the summer of 2023, Manchester United have dished out roughly £174.5m on three new centre-forwards, having plumped for youth by bringing in Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko in successive summers.
The result? Well, that costly trio have since scored just 20 Premier League goals between them across the last two-and-a-half years, with United seemingly repeating their approach in the market, yet expecting a different result.
Turning to relatively unproven young strikers has been the theme of recent times at Old Trafford, representing a clear shift away from a more short-term approach that saw the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo parachuted in to lead the line.
That trend also came amid the search for more left-field, stop-gap striker signings in the mould of Wout Weghorst and Odion Ighalo, with it looking as if the INEOS regime could repeat the trick with their own wildcard move in 2026.
Man Utd discussing personal terms for the new Ighalo
For so long has the lack of a consistent, world-class number nine plagued the Red Devils, with Robin van Persie still the last player to have scored 20 league goals for the club in a single season.
Man Utd’s top PL scorers by season
Season
Top scorer
24/25
Fernandes & Amad – 8
23/24
Fernandes & Hojlund – 10
22/23
Marcus Rashford – 17
21/22
Cristiano Ronaldo – 18
20/21
Bruno Fernandes – 18
19/20
Rashford & Martial – 17
18/19
Paul Pogba – 13
17/18
Romelu Lukaku – 16
16/17
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 17
15/16
Anthony Martial – 11
14/15
Wayne Rooney – 12
13/14
Wayne Rooney – 17
12/13
Robin van Persie – 26
Stats via WhoScored
Things might have been different had Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Erling Haaland recommendation not been ignored, with the treble winner having also chased his compatriot during his first full season at the club in 2019/20.
As it proved, the Norwegian machine joined Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2020 January window, with United left scrambling on deadline day, acquiring boyhood fan Odion Ighalo on an initial loan deal from Chinese outfit, Shanghai Shenhua.
That was certainly not a deal that would have been anticipated in advance, with the same perhaps true regarding Auxerre marksman, Lassine Sinayoko, amid reports that INEOS are pushing ahead with a move for the Ligue 1 star.
Indeed, as per Africa Foot, United are discussing personal terms with the 26-year-old, with the two parties believed to be coming close to finalising a €3m (£2m) salary agreement.
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The suggestion is that Ruben Amorim’s side want to secure a deal next month, prior to Sinayoko joining on a free transfer next summer.
Why United could be targeting their new Ighalo
Whether Sinayoko does arrive in January or at the end of the season, he could represent the wildcard addition that Amorim is in need of, not least with the aforementioned Sesko having scored just twice since his summer switch from RB Leipzig.
The Auxerre hitman may not be a glamour, household name, although the example of Ighalo showcases that a left-field swoop can bear fruit, with the experienced Nigerian making a solid impact in his new surroundings in Manchester.
Indeed, the former Watford star ultimately scored five times in his first six months at Old Trafford, namely netting a stunning juggling effort away at LASK Linz in the Europa League.
His stay was certainly brief, and hardly prolific, but Ighalo proved to be a useful tool under Solskjaer, not least as United went deep in both the FA Cup and Europa League.
Like in the case of the 2020 arrival, there is a real joy in seeing something of an unsung talent begin to blossom at United, with the club having far too often been stung by pursuing the high-profile, expensive deals instead.
Should Sinayoko arrive on a free transfer, he might well fit into the Ighalo category, having been a solid, albeit unspectacular performer during his stint in France.
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Currently on AFCON duty with Mali, the 6 foot 1 forward has scored six times this season in Ligue 1, after previously registering 14 goals and assists in France’s top-flight last term.
While not prolific himself, he would – like Ighalo – provide United with a real focal point in attack, with his physical prowess seen in how he ranks in the top 2% of strikers in Europe’s top five leagues for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, as well as in the top 8% for tackles made.
Equally, like Ighalo – who scored 16 times in 37 games for Nigeria – Sinayoko has proven his quality on the international stage, with his two recent strikes at this year’s AFCON ensuring he now boasts nine goals in 27 games for his country.
With Sesko struggling and Zirkzee seemingly on his way to Roma, United are certainly in need of at least one striker heading into 2026, ensuring a bargain swoop for a figure like Sinayoko could be just what is needed.
As Ighalo did before him, he might well just surprise a few.
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