Lifelong Manchester United fan Odion Ighalo had no hesitation in taking a pay cut to complete his dream deadline-day switch to Old Trafford.

Already short in attack following the summer departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku, a back injury sustained by Marcus Rashford made a January reinforcement crucial.

United looked at a variety of options and eventually completed a late loan deal for ex-Watford striker Ighalo, who joins until the end of the season from Shanghai Shenhua.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “First, I want say thank God for making this happen and it’s just like a dream come true for me.

“People that know me, even back in Nigeria, and even when I was playing at Watford, my team-mates knew that I loved Man United, I support them. When I played against Man U, that emotion is there, because it is my dream.

“It is a nice reality, so I’m very happy and I’m looking forward to start.”

Ighalo followed Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes into Old Trafford, with the Nigeria striker calling his last-minute move “very dramatic” having been informed by his agent the day before of United’s interest.

“From 11pm there was paperwork, negotiating and all that, for the loan deal and all that, so we are talking and other teams are calling them, wanting me,” he told MUTV.

“But I told my agent that this is what I want. I want to come here.

“He said you’re going to get a pay cut to go to United. I said I don’t care. Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don’t care how much is the pay cut, I know that, make it happen.”

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