Odion Ighalo could turn out to have the same impact as Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, according to former goalkeeper Mark Bosnich.

Ighalo was announced by United on a temporary deal until the end of the season just after midnight on Saturday morning, with the Nigeria international brought in to help solve the club’s lack of options up top.

The Red Devils were linked with a host of other attackers but closed in on Shanghai Shenhua marksman Ighalo towards the final hours of Friday evening.

“This was an emergency signing,” Bosnich told Sky Sports News.

“I can understand a lot of people taking about a scatter gun approach, well it had to be with Marcus Rashford being out.

“The top four is still possible for Manchester United, they had to go and get somebody.

“The boy that’s come in (Ighalo) has got nothing to lose, nobody expects anything unbelievable from him but they definitely needed somebody in that position.

“You never know. A long, long time ago Manchester United signed a certain Frenchman (Eric Cantona) who no one really expected much from and he ended up propelling them to one of their most successful seasons of all time.”