Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua have lined up a replacement for Odion Ighalo if the former Nigeria international joins Manchester United permanently in the upcoming transfer window, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.
Former Inter Milan, Newcastle United and Birmingham City star Obafemi Martins is currently training with Shanghai Shenhua with a view to a potential transfer.
The out of favour Super Eagles striker scored for the Shanghai Shenhua blue team in the 2020 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Blue and White Competition held at the Shenhua Kangqiao base earlier this week.
Shanghai Shenhua have five foreigners on their books including Ighalo, Stephan El Shaarawy (Italy), Giovanni Moreno (Colombia), Stéphane Mbia (Cameroon) and Kim Shin-wook (South Korea).
With the Chinese Super League permitting clubs to have only five foreigners on their payroll but only four on the pitch, Martins is unlikely to be offered a contract if Ighalo returns to Shanghai Shenhua in the coming weeks.
United are willing to extend Ighalo's loan deal rather than making his move permanent while Shanghai Shenhua want him back in China immediately after his loan deal expires.
The 2019 AFCON top scorer has impressed since his shock move to the Red Devils in January, scoring four goals in eight matches across all competitions.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
Photo Credit : shenhuafc.com.cn
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