Manchester United scrambled to bring in striker late in transfer window

Brighton forward Glenn Murray, 36, was one of the players considered

His Brighton future was up in the air and United earmarked him as possibility

They ended up signing Odion Ighalo on loan and Murray recently extended deal

Manchester United considered a late window move for Glenn Murray before ending their January search for a striker by landing Odion Ighalo.

United's attempts to bolster their frontline last week led them to weigh up the credentials of a long list of frontmen, with Brighton veteran Murray among the surprise names.

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Identifying strikers who could be prised out of their clubs in the final days of the window was one of their biggest obstacles as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer short-term sought cover following Marcus Rashford's back injury and an alternative type of forward to the ones he already had. Murray's situation at Brighton made him a potential candidate.

Manchester United considered a move for Brighton striker Glenn Murray on deadline day

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Murray, a United fan, had received limited game time following Neal Maupay's summer arrival, starting just one league game since the start of September before Saturday's 3-3 draw for the Seagulls at West Ham.

Murray scored the equaliser, earning praise for his display and the problems he caused West Ham's defence in what Match of the Day pundit Ian Wright called a 'typical No 9 performance'.

Celtic, Newcastle and Aston Villa had also been alerted by Murray's lack of game time this season and were among the sides interested in him during January.

United eventually managed to agree a deal for former Watford frontman Ighalo, 30, who arrived in Manchester over the weekend after agreeing a loan until the end of the season from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua.

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Eventually Odion Ighalo was the man United brought in from Shanghai Shenua on loan

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was desperate for reinforcements and had a number of targets

Murray meanwhile, signed a new one-year deal on Monday, extending his stay at Brighton, where he already has legendary status after scoring 111 times in 278 games across two spells, until June 2021.

Murray received assurances about his role in Graham Potter's plans and the Seagulls manager said: 'Everyone knows what Glenn brings to the club, and he's an important member of the squad - on and off the pitch - and he showed that in abundance on Saturday at West Ham.

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'I've always said he's got a big part to play here. He's happy and settled, he loves this club, and he's been the ultimate professional on and off the pitch.'

The 36-year-old scored against West Ham at the weekend and has now signed a new deal