Al Hilal unveiled Odion Ighalo on Saturday after completing his transfer from Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Shabab. The Super Eagles striker wore the number 9 kit during his unveiling ceremony and allnigeriasoccer.com can reveal that it’s the same number he will be wearing for the remainder of the 2021-2022 campaign at Al-Hilal.
In Ighalo’s first season in Europe, he wore the number 20 kit at Lyn Oslo and used the number 9 and 89 during his time with Udinese in Italy, and was allocated the number 24 at Watford.
The 32-year-old played with the numbers 7, 16 and 25 during his spells with Granada in Spain, wore the number 25 at Manchester United and played with jersey nos 89 and 9 at Al-Shabab.
Ighalo broke a Nigerian transfer record following his move to Al Hilal, as he has now become the most expensive player above the age of thirty acquired by a club that is if only permanent transfers are counted.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer joined Al Hilal in exchange for €5.9 million (approximately N2.7 billion), eclipsing the previous record held by former Chelsea wing-back, Victor Moses, who moved to Spartak Moscow last summer for a fee of €5 million.
Ighalo’s transfer to Changchun Yatai for a fee of €23.3m was the biggest involving a Nigerian player before it was surpassed by Kelechi Iheanacho’s move to Leicester City for €27.7m.
