Manchester United completed one of the late deadline day signings by bringing former Watford striker Odion Ighalo back to the Premier League.
Ighalo, the Nigeria international, penned a loan deal with the Red Devils and will represent them for the remainder of the 2019/20 season, before returning to parent club Shanghai Shenhua in China.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it a priority to add a new centre-forward in January as soon as Marcus Rashford was ruled out for a lengthy spell through injury.
Man United finally managed to sign a striker on deadline day – will Ighalo be a success?
England ace Rashford is not expected to be available until April, and Solskjaer clearly does not trust Anthony Martial or Mason Greenwood enough for either player to be United’s first-choice forward in his absence.
So Ighalo has been brought in to provide attacking cover after a relatively successful spell in China – but the signing has not been greeted with particularly wild enthusiasm.
And Perry Groves, the former Arsenal player, is STUNNED this transfer went through on deadline day.
I think its a signing that could get you the sack,” said the ex-Gunner on talkSPORT’s GameDay Warm Up.
I remember watching Ighalo at Watford when he couldnt hit a cows backside with a banjo I think he went 15 games without scoring and that is when they got rid of him.
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Ighalo starred for Watford before his form fell off a cliff in 2016, with the Nigeria ace the leading scorer in English football for 2015 having netted 30 times that calendar year.
However, the goals seriously dried up when his confidence went, and it required a move to China for Ighalo to rediscover his best form.
But Groves refuses to accept Ighalo’s return to scoring means he is the answer for Man United.
Hes going into an average team,” added the talkSPORT pundit. Obviously [Bruno] Fernandes has personality and character, but United need more than that.
So to expect him to be the answer Lets be honest, he wouldnt be in your top 30 strikers in the world, would he?
From my point of view, I just had a little chuckle.
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I think he might struggle to get in the squad today, because hell be severely bruised from all the pinches where he keeps pinching himself!
“I think he thought it was FC United [of Manchester]!
Solskjaer targeted a number of players as he sought to bring in a new striker last month, but Groves feels the United boss would have been better served to have NOT signed a forward unless he was a top-class option.
I think its put him under more pressure than if they hadnt signed anybody,” finished Groves.
People will be saying, why didnt they go in for [Raul] Jimenez at Wolves? They are Manchester United, if Wolves say they want £70million for him, at least they are trying to get him.
Theyve got an average manager, an average team, and while Fernandes will make a difference it wont be enough of a difference.
Listen to a clip of Perry Groves on talkSPORT, above…