Ighalo reveals Premier League links when departing Man Utd

striker

Odion Ighalo

admitted that

and

were interested in signing with him when his loan spell at

was over, while

also eyed him before he made a move to Old Trafford.

The Nigerian striker could opt to remain in the

when his short-term contract was extended in 2021; however, he chose to return to Al-Shabab.

When asked by

about whether he was linked with remaining in the Premier League, Ighalo said:

"Yeah, there was the possibility of West Ham and West Brom to stay in the Premier League, which I thought about.

"But after being at Manchester United, the biggest club in England if not the world, what else could I possibly do in the Premier League?

"I had good offers to stay in England, but I just didn't think I could stay after achieving my dream of playing for the club I had supported since I was young.

"I came all the way from China because it was Manchester United when I had already rejected other offers because United has always been my dream."

Ighalo added on the links to Tottenham:

"That was close - my agent called me and told me they had offered to match whatever I was earning but once I heard Manchester United were interested, there was no turning back.

"I couldn't think about anything else other than making the Manchester United deal work. I was going to have to take a pay cut but I didn't care, I just wanted the deal to happen.

"I just wanted to play for Manchester United. It's my dream club and it was always going to be a privilege for me to play at Old Trafford."

In the second half of the 2019/20 season, the 31-year-old met the target five times in 19 games. During this season, however, he has only made four appearances, as Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani were competing for the role.

When quizzed whether he could stay at United, he said:

"There wasn't much possibility because I wanted more playing time. At my age, I want to play and not just sit on the bench and not have any minutes.

"I didn't just want to be there picking up a salary - I wanted to be involved so I said to my agent that if an offer comes in, I will look at it and see what's best for me, which is what I did.

"I'm so happy that my path crossed with Manchester United - it's the club I love with all my heart and for all my life so playing for them was a big privilege that I do not take for granted.

"No matter the circumstances that led me to leave, I will always be grateful to the coach, my team-mates, the fans, and everyone around Manchester United."

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