Odion Ighalo says he was so desperate to join Manchester United he took a pay cut to make the deal happen and did not sleep the night it was agreed.
The 30-year-old Nigeria forward has joined United on loan from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season.
The ex-Watford player says his mum cried at the news and there were parties on the street where he grew up.
“A few other clubs had shown interest, I said: ‘Please, just pick United, if it’s going to be possible,” he said.
Speaking to the club website, he added: “At 11pm in Shanghai, my agent called me [to say] that United want to do the deal, so I woke up that night and started looking for a translator to go to the director’s room and hit his door.”
“‘My agent wants to speak to you. United are coming for me, you have to make this happen.”
Ighalo, his agent and the clubs spent the night negotiating and signing paperwork to get it through before the deadline at 7am Shanghai time.
