Ighalo scored four goals in eight appearances before professional football across the globe ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He is expected back in Shanghai when his loan deal expires at the end of May but the Premier League season is set to continue well past that date.
United bosses are open to the prospect of keeping Ighalo on a permanent basis as a result of his encouraging form.
And Italian football journalist Nicolo Schira claims the former Watford hotshot is set to be offered a three-year deal worth around £100,000-a-week, which is significantly less than he earns in the Chinese Super League.
Schira wrote on Twitter: “Manchester United want to sign on a permanent deal the Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo.
