Manchester United loanee, Odion Ighalo, has been offered a two-year contract extension worth more than £400,000 per week by his parent club Shanghai Shenhua.
The Nigerian has impressed at United, scoring four goals in his first three starts.
Ighalo’s loan in England expires on May 31 but it is likely to be extended until June 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the 30-year-old’s current contract due to expire in December 2022, the Chinese club are keen to keep him until December 2024.
The new deal would see Ighalo earn £400,000 a week before tax, which is said to have flattered the striker.
It will make him the highest-paid African footballer.
His focus, though, is on United until his loan spell expires.
It is rumoured that Old Trafford authorities are preparing a £15 million package to sign Ighalo on a permanent deal from China.
Ighalo has always said it has been a dream playing for United, the club he supported as a boy.
With the Chinese Super League postponed as the country attempted to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak that originated in Wuhan, Ighalo was allowed to make a shock deadline-day move to Old Trafford in January.
Ighalo underwent a 14-day quarantine period before linking up with United, who are unlikely to be playing anytime soon as the coronavirus pandemic has seen Premier League action suspended until at least the end of April.
He was brought to Old Trafford in January to bolster Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s options in attack following the departure of Romelu Lukaku last summer and a serious back injury to Marcus Rashford.
Since then, the former Watford forward has impressed with four goals and one assist in eight appearances and the Red Devils boss has indicated that he is keen on making the move a permanent one.
Solskjaer admitted that he is open to the permanent deal last month, saying: “It’s a loan, but when you’re in the door and if you impress it gives you a chance.
“That doesn’t just go for Odion, but since you asked, yes, of course, his incentive is to play as well as he can.
“And it’s up to us to make sure that he’d want to stay if we wanted him. I think he’s probably pinching himself at times because he’s now at his favourite club at the age of 30.”
