Man United are expected to extend the loan deal for Odion Ighalo as the Nigerian striker is currently only on loan until May 31.
Ighalo, 30, arrived from Shanghai Shenhua on January transfer deadline day and has scored four goals in eight games for Man United.
According to our partners in the UK at Sky Sports, the loan deal for Ighalo will be extended until June 30 when UEFA has said the end of the 2019-20 season will now be due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
That June 30 date seems ambitious, at best, for an end date and the added issue here is that Odion Ighalo’s parent club in the Chinese Super League may resume play before Man United do and they would expect him to come back.
If that is the case, what happens to Ighalo?
Man United could of course buy him outright whenever the summer transfer window is due to open as they have the option to make his deal permanent. Ighalo is also reportedly ready to take a huge pay cut to sign a permanent deal.
Ighalo obviously isn’t the only player on loan at another club right now and if FIFA or other governing bodies don’t intervene to make a widespread rule for extending the dates of current loan deals by a couple of months, it will be down to the individual clubs to arrange who they have and when.
Plus, what happens to players who are then expected to return to their parent clubs but aren’t registered in their squads for the rest of the 2019-20 campaigns?
Clubs are going to need a lot of help and flexibility from FIFA, UEFA, the FA and other governing bodies to sort out the best solution for players currently on loan in these unprecedented times.