Man Utd will be ‘great again’ with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in midfield, says on-loan star Odion Ighalo
MANCHESTER United will be ‘great again’ with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes in midfield, says on-loan star Odion Ighalo.
The Nigeria striker cannot wait to see what the future has in store at Old Trafford once Pogba returns from the ankle injury which has sidelined him for the majority of the season.
Before the coronavirus crisis KO’d this season indefinitely, United were on an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions and up to fifth spot in the Premier League, pushing for a Champions League place.
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They have looked like a completely different team since the January transfer window, having signed Fernandes and secured Ighalo on a loan deal.
The Portuguese midfielder has hit the ground running at Old Trafford since his £55million move from Sporting Lisbon.
He has made nine appearances and scored three — including two penalties, and providing four assists.
Ighalo has also staked his claim in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, netting four goals in eight since arriving on loan from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.
And the Nigeria ace believes it can only get better once Pogba – who has been out since December 26 – returns from his ankle injury, to link up with Fernandes for a lethal partnership in the middle.
In a live streamed interview on Twitter with journalist Juliet Bawuah, Ighalo said: “He [Pogba] is working hard to get back to fitness and imagine when we have Pogba and Bruno in the midfield, then you will see a different team – Rashford coming back also.
“Manchester United is going to be great again, winning games week in, week out. He’s a great player and it’s going to be a privilege to play with him.”
Ighalo knows Fernandes well from the time they spent together at Serie A side Udinese seven years ago.
The 30-year-old insists the best is yet to come from his Red Devils team-mate.
“Bruno is a fantastic player, I played with him in 2013-14 at Udinese. We’ve not seen the best of him yet in the Premier League.
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“Once Bruno Fernandes settles down in England you will see what that guy can do. He has vision, he wants the ball always. He can shoot, he can score goals, he is very intelligent.
“Before the ball comes, he is a step ahead to know what he wants to do. In times to come you are going to see what he can do in the Premier League, even better than what he is doing now.”
Pogba has vowed to make an injury return “very soon” and revealed his bone grew back bigger after the cast was removed.