According to Sky Sports, Newcastle are interested in bringing current Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo to St James' Park this summer.

What's the word?

The Nigerian joined the Red Devils on a dramatic deadline day in the January transfer window, and enjoyed a reasonable start to life at Old Trafford with four goals in just eight games across all competitions.

Now, Sky Sports claim that Ighalo's parent side, Shanghai Shenhua, expect Ighalo to return from his loan spell in time for the start of the new Chinese Super League season and that they will only allow him to remain at United if it's on a permanent deal.

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The report adds that Newcastle would be very much interested in signing him if the club's proposed takeover goes through, with Shanghai valuing him around the £20m mark.

No ambition

Whilst Ighalo has hit the ground running at United, put simply, he isn't the in the same kind of bracket of an Edinson Cavani - another player the Magpies have been linked with and touted with signing this summer.

The Nigerian after all has spent the past few years at the likes of Watford and Shanghai Shenhua - hardly the kind of footballing giants that Newcastle should be aspiring to in the future.

Ighalo would represent the cheap cop-out that has become all too familiar with the Mike Ashley era at St James' Park. Snubbing the chance to make a real statement signing, and instead shopping in the bargain basement - before 2019, the club's record signing was Michael Owen for £17m back in 2005.

The opportunity is there for the club's prospective new owners to make a real splash and outline their massive ambition. Spending £20m on Ighalo who has never played Champions League football would be as underwhelming as anything.

Meanwhile, Mark Douglas reveals what Newcastle's new owners will focus on.